Twisted Fate
by DarkHeianPrincess
Summary: Cloud uses a rare materia to travel back in time to stop Sephiroth from going insane, therefore stopping all his wicked deeds from ever happening. When he wakes up 8 years in the past, he finds things aren't exactly how he remembered them.
1. Chapter I: A Journey to the Past

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Okay, so this is a story that was pitched to me by CRed1988. I thought was it was a cool idea so I decided to give it a shot. I hope you guys enjoy and please tell me what you think.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter I : Journey to the Past**

Staring at the materia in his hand, Cloud contemplated the use of it. This was an exceptionally rare materia that can only be used once. To use it more than that could rip the very fabric of time, this meant that he only had one chance to get this right.

He didn't even bother to kiss Tifa goodbye; if he got this right, there would be no need. If he succeeded, then everything that happened to them in the last few years would be wiped from existence. He could be safe at home in Nibelheim with Tifa as his wife and perhaps a few children at play on the floor. That was a nice idea, with a white picket fence and maybe a dog too…Everything he didn't have now.

"I'm gonna make things right, and when I'm done, Tifa and I will have the life we've always wanted."

Sliding his sword into the harness on his back, he jumped on his motorcycle, holding the rare materia in his hands. He concentrated on not _where_ he wanted to go, but _when_ he wanted to go. Closing his eyes, he pushed all of his energy into the magic, willing the portal to open. At first he only felt warm and then went lightheaded as he suddenly felt the world rushing past him as if on a rollercoaster.

Then suddenly, he came to a blinding halt. Slamming to the earth, he looked straight up at the sky, feeling like he'd been thrown from a plane without a parachute. His head buzzed and his body ached, his stomach did somersaults as he rolled over slowly, trying to gauge whether or not anything was broken. Easing himself to his feet, he looked around, swearing he'd just been on his motorcycle moments prior.

"Where the hell is my bike?" He spun in frantic circles, but it was nowhere to be scene. "Damn!"

Pausing for a moment, he stared into the distance where there should have been decaying ruins, finding in their place a sparkling metropolis very much alive. He stared in awe at the scene, his heart quickening pace as his stomach bubbled with excitement.

"I did it…I'm back. Yes!" He threw a triumphant punch into the air. "Now, to find Sephiroth."

Having made his way toward the city on foot, Cloud was more than exhausted when he finally made it to the plate. His legs ached and his stomach grumbled. It had taken three hours to walk from the plateau to the city. The place looked way closer than it really was due to the flat terrain and never took so long due to the fact that his bike could nearly break the sound barrier.

But no matter how tired he was, he was still in awe over the amazing city as it glittered and shined. This was the Midgar he remembered from what seemed so long ago, before Meteor Fall. His skin crawled with the energy of the city as the people bustled about careless through expensive shops and posh restaurants. The smell of the gourmet food invaded his nose and nagged at his stomach.

Reaching for his wallet, he opened it to find three hundred gil. It was definitely temping, but he had to find someplace less expensive to eat. A measly three hundred gil was great money in Edge – in the future – but here in the past, it wouldn't get anyone too far.

Wandering around, Cloud suddenly caught sight of the Shinra Building. That was his ultimate destination but he froze, daring not venture further. His gut twisted with something more than hunger. Feeling eyes on him, he shuddered. His heart palpitating heavily, he was about to turn around when a voice called out to him from the crowd.

"Strife! Cloud Strife!" The voice was familiar, but one he thought he'd never hear again.

"Zack?" Cloud turned toward the voice, finding his friend storming across the crowded street. His heart stopped, his breath hitched and he found himself running toward him. He wanted to embrace him, hoping to find that he was in fact real, alive, and well.

As Cloud drew closer, Zack halted and with a hard block, sent Cloud reeling back. Cloud stumbled to the ground, his eyes crossing before meeting Zack's hardened blue eyes.

"Z-zack? What – "

"That's _Captain Fair_ to you, Lieutenant Strife!" The grim expression on Zack's face was uncharacteristic of him. Cloud had thought he'd smile, slap him on the back and ruffle his hair just like he used to, but he didn't. He didn't even help him up. "Get up!"

In a haze of confusion, Cloud just stared at his old friend, unable to make heads or tails of him. Red in the face, Zack barked the order again, this time causing Cloud to jump from the pavement as if burned. He stood up straight and tall, somehow knowing to salute him as a superior officer. It was unexpected, automatic, and foreign. Zack wasn't his superior officer; he wasn't even in the same force as him. Zack was in SOLDIER, Cloud was in the Infantry – and definitely not a lieutenant. So why was Zack treating him like a Soldier? Was this some kind of joke? Maybe playing on the fact that Cloud wanted to be in SOLDIER and seeing if he's up to snuff? The look of disgust on Zack's face and the unamused steel gaze of his eyes said definitely not!

"Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be at SOLDIER HQ an hour ago! Lazard sent me out to find you."

"I'm sorry, Sir…I…" Cloud didn't know where to begin, he fought to remember where he often went back then, but as his memory would serve, he was always with Zack.

"I don't want your excuses! Just get back to HQ and get into uniform, we don't have all night!"

Following his command, Cloud hurried back to Shinra. But as he rushed through the front door, he realized that if he was in fact a Soldier then his living quarters would not be on the Infantry floor, but the SOLDIER floor.

"No way." Cloud panted, bounding for the reception desk. "Hey, can you help me?"

"What can I do for you?" The young lady smiled brightly.

"I've lost the key to my apartment, can I get a spare?"

"Sure, I just need your ID card."

"Yeah, no problem." Sweat beading on his brow, Cloud produced his driver's license from his wallet.

The girl took it, her eyebrows knitting. "Uh, I need your military ID, Sir."

"Oh…I uh…I left it in my apartment." Now things were getting creepy.

"Okay, just one moment." The girl called over a supervisor, who gave her permission to use Cloud's license.

As she began typing his information into the computer, she hesitated, double checking something on the card. She squinted, studying the card as if something was amiss. Glancing up at Cloud and back at the card, she called her supervisor back over.

Cloud's throat began to tighten, the sweat on his face growing thicker, his pulse quickened. Drumming his fingers on the counter, he eagerly waited for her to come back to the computer.

The supervisor came over with the oddest look on her face. "Sir, do you have any other identification on you?"

"No, just that."

The woman adjusted her glasses as she studied the card, shaking her head she asked, "How old are you?"

"Er…I'm uh…" He very nearly said 24, but he had to remember he was 8 years in the past, "I'm 16."

Both women stared him up and down, knowing that in no way was this hunk of man-meat anywhere close to 16-years-old.

"Uh…Also, this license says it was issued 6 years from now."

Cloud's heart sank. No…no please, oh God no! He totally came unprepared; he should have remembered to have a fake ID made. He didn't even have enough money for a hotel room! He should've known he was in over his head.

"Cloud!" An unfamiliar male voice rang out jovially across the lobby.

His body stiffening, Cloud glanced over his shoulder to see a teenage boy in a SOLDIER uniform heading straight for him. He was waving at him a smile plastered across his face. He was a pretty youth, with long black hair swept off to one side and dark mahogany eyes on pale white skin. He look familiar, but Cloud was sure he didn't know him.

"Hey man, we've been looking everywhere for you!" He slapped Cloud's back and punched him playfully in the arm.

"You have?"

"Uh, yeah! Come on, you need to get changed!"

"I lost my apartment key."

"Then why didn't you just come to the door? I'd have let you in." The young man produced his SOLDIER ID to the ladies, "My roommate lost his key, can you give me a new one?"

The dumbfounded ladies hesitantly took his ID, swiping it into their scanner and bringing up his information, "Lieutenant Lockheart? Room number 55?"

"The one and only." Lockheart confirmed, taking back his ID and the newly activated keycard as they presented it to him.

 _Lockheart?_ This guy has the same surname as Tifa! Things couldn't get any weirder, could they?

"Come on, man, we gotta hustle!" He ran for the elevators.

Cloud watched after him for a moment before snapping out of his stupor and jumping into the elevator before it closed on him.

"Here you go." Lockheart handed the keycard to Cloud. "You need to take care of it."

"Thanks for helping out." Cloud pocketed the card, feeling another chill race over his skin.

Lockheart eyed Cloud from the corner of his eye. "You look…bigger…Cloud."

"Uh…I-I do?" Cloud was painfully aware of how his physique changed since then.

"Yeah. Hey, did you get another body augmentation or something?"

"Er, yeah sure."

"I've been thinking about it, but I don't really feel like ordering new uniforms just to have bigger muscles. Besides, you like me slender, right?"

 _Do I like what?!_ "Uhh…" Cloud was at a complete loss of how to answer that.

"I'm glad you got the treatment," Lockheart smiled, his eyes half-lidded, "Now no one will question who wears the pants in our house."

"I never knew it was a problem."

"Oh yeah, all the time." Lockheart dropped the conversation as soon as the doors opened. "Go, quickly!"

Cloud bounded out of the elevator, dashing for apartment 55. He swiped the key in the lock a dozen times before it finally opened. Running in, Cloud froze.

Wow. This place was nice, nicer than his Infantry apartment. Soldiers really did live in style. As long as he was friends with Zack, he never allowed him to come into his apartment. Now he saw why. The place was painted a slate grey with white moldings, black leather sofas and mirrored tables took up the room and the monochromatic shades were broken up with vases of gorgeous red glass roses.

Gathering his nerve Cloud headed into the nearest bedroom, hoping it was his. He flipped on the light, finding it just as nice as the living room. The wrought iron bed was huge and decked out in red and black fittings. It was something he would like to treat Tifa to when he set things right. Tearing his attention from the bed, he glanced over at the dresser finding pictures of himself with Tifa as children.

"Oh good, so this is my room." He smiled at the photos but dared not gaze any longer; he had to get into uniform for whatever event everyone was so excited about.

The sweater was tight over his muscles, and his pants barely zipped up. He hoped that whatever they were doing didn't involve sitting as he wouldn't be able to breathe for how tight everything was. At least his belts were adjustable.

"Oh no, you need new uniforms. I'll order some new ones for you first thing in the morning." Lockheart sighed but the same grin from earlier spread across his lips, "You do look sexy like that though."

Cloud gulped. It was weird to be so openly admired like that by another man. He had nothing against homosexuals, but it wasn't something he was used to.

* * *

They quickly left for the main SOLDIER floor, following the others into the auditorium.

"Cloud, over here." Lockheart took his hand, guiding him through the crowd and up to the stage.

"Strife! Where have you been!" Zack approached him again, looking like he wanted to beat him senseless. "Get up here!"

"Zack's acting a bit harsh tonight, isn't he?" Cloud breathed, following Lockheart onto the stage.

"What do you mean? He's always like that. Are you feeling okay, Cloud?"

"Just a little nervous."

"Don't be, it's just an award ceremony."

As they stood in a line across the stage, Cloud felt his stomach churning, reminding him that he was starving and the ever present chill warning him that something was terribly wrong with this picture.

"Oh my God, it's General Sephiroth!" Lockheart nearly squealed, "I wish I could get my hair to look like that."

"Sephiroth…" Cloud's tongue burned saying that name. Gnashing his teeth together he fought to contain the sudden surge of anger within him. He contemplated killing him right then, ending it right then and there.

But as he fantasized about holding his head in his hands, Sephiroth walked out on to the stage, followed by General Rhapsodos and Major Hewley. Sephiroth looked strange though, he was somewhat shorter than Cloud recalled, and he was wearing a considerable heel on his boots. His build was slight in comparison and he handled himself with an almost feminine grace.

As General Rhapsodos began to speak a few words to the audience, Cloud fought to look straight ahead, appearing to be a well-disciplined officer of SOLDIER rather than the confused idiot he felt he was. He wanted so badly to look at Sephiroth, he wanted to get a better view of him, he needed to see why he was seemed so odd.

Trembling in his boots, Cloud set his jaw as he felt Sephiroth drawing closer as he placed medals around the necks of the war heroes Cloud and his new friend, Lockheart, were a part of. Once Sephiroth came to stand before Cloud, he was obliged to lower his head so Sephiroth could reach to award him his medal. As soon as he looked down into the face of his arch nemesis, Cloud's mouth dropped open in shock.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life.


	2. Chapter II: Childhood Friends

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter II: Childhood Friends**

As she placed the medal on his neck, her plump merlot lips bent into a sideways smile that didn't quite meat her eyes. Her pale, porcelain skin was flawless without a wrinkle or crease. She was unreal. Her eyes were cool green and yet they were smoldering, burning hotter than the sun. When his eyes met hers, he was at a loss for everything. His heart ceased to beat, his skin grew cold yet the entire room was hotter than a furnace.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant." She whispered, even her voice was a far cry from what he knew. It was light and airy, and yet she purred in the most seductive way.

He didn't know who this woman was, but she was not Sephiroth, not even her green eyes or her silver hair could convince him she was.

Then she was gone. She moved on to the next Soldier without even looking back at Cloud.

* * *

"Wow, this is awesome." Lockheart gazed longingly at the golden medal as he and Cloud headed back home.

"What exactly are these for again?" Cloud never received such an award before, and never knew that SOLDIER even distributed such a thing.

"For the Battle of Fort Tamblin, silly!" Lockheart opened the door and headed straight for a wall mounted showcase behind the sofa.

"The Battle of…wait a minute." Cloud never fought in the Battle of Fort Tamblin; he was never even involved in the Wutai War.

"Give it over." Lockheart grabbed reached out for Cloud's medal, placing it beside his own in the showcase.

Cloud's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open at the sight of the commendations in the case.

"Are all those yours?"

Lockheart raised an eyebrow at him, glancing back and forth between the case and Cloud's moronic expression, "No. They're all yours." He gulped heavily, taking a step back though he was already five feet away from him. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been acting kinda weird."

"Uh…" Cloud wiped his forehead and breathed in deeply, "I've been feeling kind of weird."

"What's wrong?" Lockheart's bright face dimmed.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just tired and hungry."

"Why don't you take a shower and relax, I'll cook dinner."

"Sounds good."

Once under the hot water and blanketed by a soothing curtain of steam, Cloud began to mull over all the information in his head.

Okay…he was 8 years in the past, but this was not the past he remembered. Zack was obviously not his friend, he had a gay roommate with Tifa's last name, and he was in SOLDIER – that part was cool – and the icing on the cake? Sephiroth was a _woman!_

"What the hell is going on? Have I gone crazy?" Cloud leaned into the wall, letting the hot water spray over his back.

As he closed his eyes, he began to think about home. Should he have just stayed put and accepted things the way they were? Was Tifa worried? Probably not, he'd lied and said he was going to make deliveries. Now he was wishing he'd gotten that goodbye kiss.

"If I'm dreaming, I hope I wake up soon." He reached over and shut off the water. "What am I gonna do about Sephiroth?"

Cloud suddenly doubted killing her. One reason was the fact that she was a woman; he didn't know if he could bring himself to kill a woman. Another was that if Zack's personality was different in this alternate past, then was Sephiroth's? What if she was a good person? What if she doesn't go crazy at Nibelheim? What if she never goes to Nibelheim at all?

Grabbing a towel from the rack, he buried his face in the softness. As he thought about her, he couldn't help but be reminded of her beauty. She was too beautiful to kill. He never considered what Sephiroth would be like as a female, but he was not disappointed. Just thinking about that face caused him to grow stiff. Reaching down, he took himself in his hand, contemplating having a moment alone with her in his head. But throwing down the towel, he wacked himself hard, nearly causing his knees to buckle.

"Argh! Damn it!" He groaned, "That's it, that's what you get for thinking about another woman."

Regaining his composure, Cloud wrapped the towel around his waist and headed back to the bedroom. A pair of stretch pants and t-shirt was laid out on the bed for him and he assumed Lockheart had put them there. At least he his roommate was a nice and considerate guy, that much he was grateful for.

When he returned to the living room, he found Lockheart setting out the forks on the small dining table near the kitchen door.

"Oh good, at least those fit you okay." Lockheart sighed as he took off his apron. "Dinner's ready."

"Great, what are we having?" Cloud dropped into the chair.

"Only your favorite, grilled chicken breast with red potatoes and asparagus!" He sang sweetly as he presented Cloud with his plate.

"Oh," Cloud raised an eyebrow at his serving. It really was his favorite; he absolutely loved it, but… "Why is it shaped like a heart?"

"Because I'm so proud of you." Lockheart leaned forward, kissing the top of his head. "Eat up before it gets cold."

Cloud pursed his lips together, unsure of how to feel about being kissed by another man. Shaking it off, he concluded it was just one of Lockheart's quirks. It's not like he kissed him on the mouth or anything.

The food was great, tasting so much like Tifa's cooking. It was reassuring albeit uncanny.

"What's wrong? Still hungry?"

Cloud hadn't realized until Lockheart spoke that he'd been staring at his plate. "No, I've had enough. Thanks."

"So what now? Wanna watch TV or something?"

"Actually, I want to go to bed."

"Maybe that's best. Hey, Sephiroth gave us all the next week off, wasn't that nice of her?"

"Uh, yeah…" Cloud moseyed on into the bedroom, leaving Lockheart by himself.

"Cloud…"

* * *

Cloud fought for sleep, unable to truly relax due to the alien world he'd found himself in, and the loneliness without Tifa in bed with him. His heart was breaking; nothing was right, nothing was happening the way it was supposed to. The plan was to find Zack and convince him to help keep Sephiroth from going to Nibelheim or, if that plain failed, to kill him before he discovered Jenova.

 _Zack's not my friend. Not in this world I've ended up in. But at least he's alive. Maybe, if he's not my friend, he won't give his life to protect me. He'll live._

Cloud rolled onto his back, a tear rolling down his cheek. At length, he fell asleep.

His dreams at least, brought him home safely, if only for a night. In his dream, Tifa was lying beside him, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head on his chest.

"Tifa…I love you." Cloud rolled over, pushing her onto her back and pressing his lips against hers.

He ran his fingers through her long dark hair, sliding between her legs. His hand creeping up her thigh, he slid it upward until he reached one of her big plush breasts. But unfortunately, when he touched her chest, he found nothing but a semi-flat expanse.

Cloud's eyes shot open. Rearing up on his hands, he found not Tifa beneath him, but his male roommate, Lieutenant Lockheart. His breath caught as he gasped and exhaled at the same time, jumping backward and falling from the foot of the bed.

"Oh crap! Are you okay?" Lockheart scrambled to the foot of the bed, finding Cloud in a heap. "What happened?"

"What the hell…are you doing in my bed?" Cloud tried to control his breathing, but anger was bubbling in his gut.

A genuine expression of hurt and confusion crossed Lockheart's face. "We always sleep together. There's only one bed."

"Damn it…" Cloud got up, "And why do we share a bed?"

"Because you're my boyfriend."

" _B-boyfriend?_ You've made a mistake! I am _not_ your boyfriend, dude! I'm attracted to women only!"

Lockheart's face twisted into a horrible expression, like he was about to start bawling. Shutting his eyes tight, his nose turned red, tears began to flow soundlessly down his face. In that moment, Cloud could have sworn he was looking at Tifa.

"So….why'd you kiss me then…" His lips trembled as he spoke.

"I was dreaming about my girlfriend."

"You have a…" Lockheart's hands flew up to his mouth briefly before he cried out, "Since when? How long have you been cheating on me!"

"Huh? I'm not cheating on you! We're not dating!"

"So what? You're just going to ignore our relationship? We've been together since we were kids!"

"Bullshit! I don't even know you!"

"Cloud, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" Lockheart slid cautiously from the bed, keeping his distance from Cloud. "You're scaring me."

"I'm not trying to scare you." Cloud took a deep breath and reseated himself on the bed. "I'm just confused. Nothing is the way I remember it. The whole world is so foreign to me now. Everyone, even my friends, are strangers."

Lockheart bravely approached him, sitting beside him. Cautiously he wrapped his arm around Cloud's shoulders. Cloud saw no reason to resist. He needed comfort right then, not caring who gave it to him. Regardless of everything, this guy seemed to really care about him.

"I was afraid of this. The doctor said could be scrambled after what happened. I just hoped he was wrong."

"What are you saying?"

"You don't remember? Well, the doctor said you might have some memory loss too." Lockheart squeezed Cloud's fingers with his free hand. "At Fort Tamblin, you suffered a terrible blow to the head. You were actually in a coma for almost two months. In fact, you were hurt so bad, they almost pulled the plug on you."

"What? You mean they…"

"They almost killed you, Cloud." He buried his face in Cloud's arm, "I sat beside you the entire time. It was General Sephiroth who told them not to let you die… Oh god, she's not the other woman is she?"

"No, she's not." Cloud looked down at Lockheart's pleading eyes. "My girlfriend's name is Tifa Lockheart. She's my childhood friend."

"No way." Lockheart closed his eyes thoughtfully. Shaking his head, he smiled with relief. "You are scrambled then. I'm your childhood friend, Cloud. There is not nor ever was a girl named Tifa Lockheart. Just me, Tiffan Lockheart."


	3. Chapter III: Cloud's Opposite

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter III: Cloud's Opposite**

Cloud lay awake staring at the ceiling. Tiffan was lying beside him, somewhere between sleep and consciousness. Cloud tried to close his eyes and sleep, but his brain wouldn't shut off for the night. Everything he'd experienced in the last few hours rolled around in his mind continuously, like a swirling storm with no end in sight.

He wanted to be home, he wanted to be back in Tifa's arms where no monsters could reach him. Rolling over, he looked into Tiffan's placid face. He looked almost exactly like Tifa and behaved a lot like her as well. As her counterpart, this made sense, but it also tormented Cloud's heart and mind. He loved Tifa so much and now, unsure if he could make it home or not, he found himself wondering if he could even consider Tiffan Lockheart as a replacement for her. _Of course not!_ But…the thought played through his brain along with everything else.

He wanted so badly to be with her that for a moment, he actually wondered if it was still considered cheating if he found happiness with Tiffan. Well is it? Maybe yes and maybe no? He was this world's version of Tifa. They were one and the same with the exception that Tiffan was a man. Could Cloud fall for a man? Possibly. After all, he fell in love with Tifa because she was a wonderful person who stood beside him through thick and thin, and in this topsy-turvy world, Tiffan did the same thing. It was just happenstance that Tifa was born a female. Cloud wondered then, if Tifa had been a man, would they have still fallen in love just the same?

Reaching out, Cloud brushed Tiffan's bangs away from his beautiful face. He really did look just like her, especially like this. He slept on his stomach tucking his hands under his cheek just like she did. As Cloud admired him, Tiffan's shinny eyes opened, meeting Cloud's through the semidarkness.

"Tiffan…Do you love me?" Cloud asked suddenly, his heart slamming forward in his chest.

"Always and forever." Tiffan smiled, reaching out to grasp Cloud's hand. Kissing his knuckles he said, "A long time ago, I swore to be your hero. And I will always keep that oath."

Cloud's throat tightened. Oh, god…he needed her, he needed something! He sprang up as if startled, his heart pounding frantically.

"Where are you going?" Tiffan sat up as Cloud began to get dressed.

"I just need to get some air…having trouble sleeping. I'm just gonna walk around the building a bit. Go back to sleep, sweetie, I won't be long." Cloud hesitated when he realized he just called him "sweetie".

Shaking it off, he figured it would help calm him. If Tiffan really was just like Tifa, then he was worrying and worrying hard. Noticing the pained expression drifting onto his face, Cloud went back to him and hugged him tight.

"I'm alright, I promise. I just need to be alone for a little while."

Tiffan nodded in agreement and kissed his cheek before letting him go.

* * *

Cloud walked around on the terrace overlooking the glittering city below. At least this place looked the same he supposed. A part of him wanted to see if Aerith was down there somewhere selling her flowers for a single gil each. But as he considered searching for her or even visiting her church, he stopped himself. No, he couldn't. In this world of opposites, would she also be different? Would she be anything like he remembered her? Would she even be a _she?_ He tossed out the thought, he would leave her be, remember her as she was, and revel in the fact that if he never meets her then she might not die.

As fate would have it, just as he was thinking of Aerith, the very cause of her death came sauntering up the walkway. Cloud's breath caught as he glimpsed her, tossing her shining silver hair over her shoulder, her hips swaying provocatively. He was suddenly painfully aware of how hard he became at the sight of her, all the problems in his brain abruptly replaced by the inexplicable urge to impale her – though not on sharpened steel.

"There you are, Soldier." She purred as she came up beside him.

Taken aback by her greeting and his strange feelings toward her, Cloud turned his back to her, trying to gather himself.

"Hey…" He breathed, gathering the nerve to look at her again. Good god…she was something else.

"Can't sleep?" Sephiroth's eyes glowed with the city lights.

"N-no…I couldn't stop thinking about things…" Goosebumps prickled his skin.

"What kind of things?" She was standing directly beside him now, her shoulder just an inch from his own.

"Just…" His breath trembled, his eyes tracing up and down her body, "…how much I want to fuck you."

Cloud's mouth dried up as soon as he'd said it. It left a nasty taste in his mouth and he had no idea where it even came from. That wasn't him, he didn't use words like that and he certainly didn't want to have sex with Sephiroth. Or did he?

Turning to face him, Sephiroth looked him up and down, her perfectly shaped eyebrows knitted and she smirked. "You want to fuck do you? What's wrong with your boyfriend?"

"I don't want him, I want you. Right here, right now." Cloud couldn't get a grip; it was as if he was being controlled by someone else.

Licking her lips, Sephiroth rolled her eyes. "And what if I said no?"

"I don't care."

"You'd force me?" She bowed up to him, "Strife, I might be a woman, but test me and it might be the last thing you ever do."

"I want – " He was cut off just as she drew her sword, pressing the blade against his throat.

"I don't care what you want, little boy." She growled, her slit pupils contracting ominously. "Now get your sorry ass back to your quarters before you find your dick on the ground next to your head."

Cloud said nothing as he slowly backed away from her. Once he'd gotten about 8 feet away, far enough to clear the length of her sword, he turned and ran.

Sheathing her sword, Sephiroth hissed.

Within seconds a pair of hands slid around her waist and drew her close to a man's chest. His red hair tickled her cheek as he leaned over her shoulder.

"You should've let him do it to you." Genesis smirked against her ear.

"I know you like to watch." She pushed him off of her violently.

"And yet you never let me."

"Not interested." Sephiroth distanced herself from him.

"Not interested in what? Letting me watch or getting laid?"

"Either."

"You're such an asshole. Give it up, Sephiroth. Find some loser to screw, let me watch and we'll all go home happy."

"What part of this grand plan makes you think will make me happy?"

"The screwing part." Genesis laughed.

Sephiroth just sneered and turned her back to him.

"Oh come on! I was just kidding!"

* * *

Cloud tossed himself onto the couch. What in the world…That wasn't him, nothing about that exchange was anything like him at all. What if she'd said yes?

"Damn it…I would've done it too."

That would've changed everything. He would be a cheater, a liar, a user. Everything he swore to Tifa he never would be. He had literally forgotten about both Tifa and Tiffan when he saw Sephiroth. It was like she was taking over his mind again, just in a different way.

Then it struck him.

What about his counterpart? Everyone else has an opposite version of themselves here, doesn't he? Thinking on his actions outside, he considered perhaps that was the opposite of himself.

"So…in _Backwardsville_ …I'm a lying, cheating, asshole who thinks with his cock and not his brain. No…no-no-no! I can't let it get to me! Pull yourself together Cloud, pull yourself together!"

The bedroom door opened and Tiffan came out to the living room.

"Cloud? Are you okay?" He sat down beside him.

At a loss, Cloud threw his arms around him and held him against his chest. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tifa." He sobbed into his hair, "I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to what?"

"I'm getting scared, Tifa…I just want to go home."

"Cloud…"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"No matter what happens, will you always be beside me?"

"Of course I will."

"I need you now more than ever."

"I know, I'll do whatever it takes."

"Thank you…I love you, Tifa."

"I love you too, Cloud."

* * *

Sephiroth gazed up a the number 55 on Cloud and Tiffan's apartment. Casting her eyes down to the nameplate, she read _Strife/Lockheart_.

"Cloud Strife." She narrowed her eyes, clenching her fist as she thought about his request. "There's no way I'm putting out for an adolescent like you. I'm better than you."

She continued on toward her own quarters, finding it exactly as she left it. She'd barely cleaned since that day so many months ago; even the broken glass by the wall was had remained. The stain was still on the wall and his laundry still unfolded. The flowers he'd given her had shriveled up and died, fallen petals still resting on the dusty table.

Reaching for a downturned picture frame on the sideboard, Sephiroth turned it up right again. The photo inside was of her with a man about her age, he had chestnut curls and green eyes, his smile shined like the sun.

She narrowed her eyes again, clenching her jaw and slamming the picture back down.

"It's better that you left me." She said, staring at the floor. "I would have killed you sooner or later."


	4. Chapter IV: Gifts and Promises

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. This chapter was hard for me, I haven't been in a very creative mood this week, so I kind of had to force it out. I hope it's enjoyable at least.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter IV: Gifts and Promises**

Cloud forgot about everything as he savored the amazingly juicy taste of Tiffan's homemade cheeseburgers. Just like Tifa's cooking. Juicy, savory, melty… It was rare when she made lunch for breakfast, usually it was a sign that she needed to have a serious discussion with him. But this was backwards world, so maybe it wasn't the same.

"This is just what I needed. I love your burgers."

"You do?"

"Absolutely!" Cloud finished off the last bite, reclining back in the chair, and sighing with the greatest of satisfaction.

"So, now that you're full and relaxed, do you want to talk about what happened last night?" Tiffan batted around the ice in his glass with his straw.

And there it was.

Cloud gulped; he didn't' know where to begin. How do you tell your boyfriend that you asked someone else to sleep with you? "Not really."

"You've always been like that. Never wanting to tell me how you feel or what's really bothering you."

At least this world's Cloud had that trait in common.

"Let's just forget about that, I was having a bad night." Cloud leaned forward, "Hey, what do you say we go out today?"

"Out?"

"Let's go shopping. I'll buy you whatever you want."

Tiffan blushed, brushing his hair behind his ear. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Cloud felt even guiltier for distracting Tiffan like that, but he had to avoid it. With any hope, if he just put Sephiroth out of his mind, perhaps it will remain in the past.

* * *

As Tiffan flitted from shop to shop, Cloud stayed close behind, watching him like a hawk. He felt an odd sensation take him over like the previous night with Sephiroth. A strange emotion he'd never felt before – a tightfisted jealousy over Tiffan. He'd always been protective of Tifa in his world, but never felt possessive of her. When other men or women would look at Tiffan in a manner that Cloud felt was offensive or flirtatious, he would be struck with an overwhelming urge to show them who Tiffan belonged to.

But he didn't.

Whenever he felt the jealousy stir up, Cloud would take a deep breath and attempt to flush it away. Less than a day in this world, and it was already beginning to change him into someone he wasn't. He wasn't homosexual – or rather _bisexual_ as his counterpart seems to be – he wasn't interested in having multiple partners, he didn't like to lie or keep secrets, nor was he at all a jealous man. But the Cloud in this world was all of those things and perhaps even more. So easily did he forget about Tifa and Tiffan when he saw Sephiroth…It made him wonder if his counterpart even loved Tiffan at all.

"Hey man, look at this!" Tiffan lifted beautifully painted blue mask over his face, his glittering eyes offsetting the mask's expressionlessness.

"That looks pretty on you." Cloud found a genuine smile; Tifa loves masks like that. "Is that the one you like?"

As Tiffan began sifting through the masks to find one he liked better than the rest, Cloud happened to glance over where something sparkly caught his eye. He left Tiffan to his search as he inspected the item. It was a silver chain upon which hung a small round stone. It was a white facetted crystal that caught the light, reflecting it in a shining prismatic spectacle.

"Tifa would like that." He smiled wistfully, thinking of how she had no jewelry at all save for her pearl earrings. Without another thought, he bought the necklace, hiding it quickly as Tiffan ran up to him with a glittery white mask in his hand.

"This is the one."

"Alright then."

"Are you sure it's really okay?"

"Of course, anything for you."

"Thank you, Cloud. I love you."

"I love you too." It felt real when he said it, but did he actually mean it?

* * *

Sephiroth had spent the entire day alone at home. After her exchange with Cloud the previous night, she was not so keen on the possibility of seeing him again. So she stayed locked up, not even going down to the Laundromat for fear he might be there, or worse…his boyfriend might be there.

She snarled at the thought of them together, together in front of her. It was hard enough for her to put that medal around Tiffan's neck without strangling him with it. The sad part about it was that Tiffan had no idea she hated him, and he'd done nothing outright to earn her hatred, other than being with Cloud. It was all Cloud's fault, he was the instigator…And yet, she couldn't stay angry at him for long. Every time she saw him, there were butterflies in her stomach.

As she was losing herself in her thoughts, she was disturbed by a heavy knock at the door.

Oh no. What if it was him?

With her heart in her throat, she cautiously approached the door. Pressing her head against the crack between the door and the frame, she took a deep breath.

"Who is it?"

"Your best friend!"

"Oh, damn it, Genesis! I'm not in the mood."

"Oh come on."

Sephiroth begrudgingly opened the door. "Can't you go play with Zack or something?"

"The kitten has sharp claws; doesn't play well with others." Genesis stuck out his bottom lip, offering sad eyes.

"I think you deserve to get scratched."

"Anyway, I bought you a little gift. Something to cheer you up." Genesis lifted a black bag to her view.

"What the hell is that?" She narrowed her eyes, setting her mouth in a firm line.

"If you wanna know, you'll let me in." He prodded playfully.

Fighting to suppress a grin, she opened the door wider to allow him inside. As they both took to the sofa, he dropped the bag in her lap.

"This better not be a hunk of garbage." Sephiroth groaned as she pulled a small box out of the bag. It too was black, wrapped with a red ribbon. The box itself was about a foot long and four inches wide, leaving her with a million ideas of what it could be.

"Why are you hesitating?"

"Because I'm kind of scared."

"Come on!"

Sucking it up, she took off the ribbon and opened the box. "Oh…"

"Yeah? You like it?"

"Why in hell would you buy me this?"

"Because you need something fun to play with."

"And let me guess, you want me to put on a show for you?"

"That would be fun for me."

"Get out of my house."

* * *

"Thank you for taking me out today, Cloud." Tiffan said as he placed the mask on the wall on his side of the bed.

"As long as you enjoyed it." Cloud shucked his clothes, reaching for the sweatpants and t-shirt.

"Hey…" Tiffan's silky hand slid across Cloud's bare back. "Don't get dressed yet."

Cloud's throat tightened as he felt Tiffan press his chest against his back. He slid his hands around to Cloud's front, tracing his fingers across his's abs.

"What are you doing?" Cloud struggled to keep breathing normally.

"I never got a chance to admire the new you." Tiffan sprinkled kisses across Cloud's shoulders.

Cloud's entire body tensed as Tiffan's hands traveled down the waistband of his underwear. As his thumbs looped under the elastic with a promise to pull them down, Cloud forced himself out of Tiffan's grasp.

"Don't!" A shudder skittered across Cloud's body as he stumbled away from him.

Again, a pained look crossed Tiffan's face. Sitting on the foot of the bed, he said nothing as Cloud tried to collect himself. As Cloud gathered the nerve to look at him, he noticed his nose was turning red, his lips pressed together tightly, and his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.

"Please don't cry…"

But it was too late, Tiffan began sobbing. At first, he buried his face in his hands, but as Cloud tried to approach him, he tossed his head up, screaming, "You said you loved me!"

"Tifa…"

"My name is not Tifa! It's _Tiffan!_ " He shoved past Cloud, pointing at the pictures on the dresser. "Look at these. This is me and you. It's always been just me and you! I wish you would remember that."

"Listen…" Cloud crept up behind him, just close enough to speak softly, "My memories are different. When I was a child, I loved a girl named Tifa. And I still love her today."

"No you didn't. I would know if you did." Tiffan tried to wipe away his tears but they just kept falling. "The doctors said you might not be the same. They were right."

"How long have I been awake?"

"Less than a week. At first you seemed normal, but now you're not." He faced him, wanting so badly to hold him. "I want to help you, Cloud. But I don't know how. I suddenly feel like I'm losing you and I'm scared."

"Don't be scared." Cloud closed his eyes, rubbing his temple. "I'm actually worried that I might be losing my mind. I feel like I've been in a dream since yesterday."

"We should visit the doctor in the morning."

"Yeah." Cloud allowed him to hug him, feeling obligated. He owed it to him to put him at ease.

"I wish you would make love to me Cloud. We haven't been together in so long…"

It _had_ been a long time since Cloud had been with Tifa, even after things had calmed down; they were still taking it slow. It never really bothered him until that very moment, when Tiffan was straightforward and honest about what he wanted. Again, Cloud was struck with a sensation he couldn't understand. As he said this, a spark of anger rushed through Cloud's veins. It shouldn't have angered him the way it did, and normally it wouldn't have.

Before Cloud realized what he was doing, he had powered him to the floor, tearing his clothes from his body. Cloud's heart ached and he felt ill to his stomach. Surprisingly, it was not the fact that he was about to have sex with a man that bothered him, it was the fact that he was cheating on Tifa. Or was he?

But no matter how guilty he was, he couldn't stop. The same urge that compelled him to come onto Sephiroth was now forcing him to take his aggressions out on Tiffan. This was the Cloud of this world, dominating and hostile.

He knotted Tiffan's hair in his fist, yanking his head up from the floor. Cloud's eyes roamed across Tiffan's back, finding scars and bruises crisscrossing his skin. At first he thought they were battle scars until he noticed a few crescent-shaped ones. Bite marks….Made by human teeth.

Cloud suddenly returned to his senses. "What the hell?" He backed away from him, his eyes pinned to the horrible marks on his body.

"What's wrong?" Tiffan turned around, revealing more scars and fading bruises on his chest.

"Those scars," Cloud tore his eyes away, looking into Tiffan's face. His heart felt pinched as he caressed his cheek. "What happened to you?"

Tiffan wrinkled his nose, looking down at himself. "You did this."

"No way. I'm damn sadist too?" Cloud shut his eyes, shaking his head back and forth. "I would never hurt you like this…D-do I beat you often?"

"You used to."

"And you let me?"

"Sometimes it feels good to me, like love taps. And sometimes it's too much."

"If I hurt you then why do you stay with me?"

"Because I promised to be with you forever."

Cloud drew in a shaky breath, bringing Tiffan against his chest. "Then let me promise you this…I will never beat you again. I'm not the guy I was."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you still want me to be seen by a doctor, I will. But I'm a completely different person now. There's nothing that can change that."

Tiffan looked up at the mask on the wall. "You know…that's the first present you ever bought for me. When you said you'd buy me whatever I wanted, I thought you were lying."

"You did?"

"Yeah…You don't do things like that. You never appreciate my cooking, never once did you say it was good. You never kiss me or tell me you love me without me saying it first. But now you do. You said you feel like you're in a dream? So do I. But unlike you, I'm not sure I want to wake up."

* * *

Sephiroth moaned at the feeling of the gift within her body. She didn't hate it. In fact it was a fantastic alternative to the real thing. But, even as she used it, she couldn't help but imagine Cloud was doing it. And no matter how hard her arm worked, she just couldn't match his tenacity, nor could she fabricate his body on her, or his breath on her face.

"Oh…Cloud…" She arched her body as she switched on the vibration, "Yes!"

As she came down from her high, Sephiroth dropped the toy to the floor. She continued to stare straight ahead as she caught her breath.

"I...hate you, Cloud." But she still wanted him so badly.


	5. Chapter V: Date Night

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter V: Date Night**

"You really should let me clean this place up." Genesis groaned indignantly as he glanced around Sephiroth's apartment.

"It's fine." She insisted as he handed him a glass of wine.

"No it's not; this place is a time capsule. It's like you hit the pause button the moment he left. These flowers are growing mold. _Mold!_ "

"And your point?"

"This entire thing is unhealthy. Come on, I'm your friend, and friends care about one another."

"So what do you suggest I do?" She took her own glass to the couch and sunk into it, kicking her feet up on the ottoman.

"First clean. The layer of dust on this table is ridiculous. Open the curtains and let a little light in, maybe? And then take a shower, put on some make-up, a sexy red dress, and go out with me for a night on the town."

She pressed her lips together to fight off a grin, "Genesis, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes, I absolutely am."

"Why?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Because I want you to perk up. You're too beautiful to be so sad all the time."

"And you're going to make me happy?"

"I can only try."

"You're not going to recite poetry are you?"

"I hate poetry."

"Me too."

* * *

Tiffan's arms prickled with goosebumps as he walked hand-in-hand with Cloud for the first time in public. A genuine smile was spread across his face and he couldn't wipe it off for anything.

"You're really excited aren't you?" Cloud didn't mean to sound so baffled.

"Of course I am!" He nearly yanked Cloud over. "This is my first time going to a dance club!"

"Really? I never took you before?"

"No. You used to go all the time without me."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Tiffan's ears twitched when he heard the pounding base vibrating the walls. His heart matched the beat as Cloud paid the cover charge. This was so unreal, to be with Cloud in public as an actual couple. Sure the guys at SOLDIER knew they were a thing, but the old Cloud never liked letting the rest of Midgar know. This new Cloud however, he wasn't stingy about showing affection around other people.

The number of people, the music, the lights, it was almost too overwhelming. Tiffan rooted to the spot.

"What's wrong?" Cloud tugged his hand.

"I just…I just remembered I don't know how to dance."

"Neither do I. Let's just make something up."

Cloud towed him straight onto the dancefloor. No matter how loud the music was pumping through the speakers, the only thing Tiffan could hear was the incessant beating of his heart. Cloud draped Tiffan's arms over his shoulders as he took his waist.

"Just sway your hips to the beat of the music." Cloud whispered into his ear when he hesitated.

"Are you sure you want to dance with me, man?"

"Who else would I dance with?" He swept Tiffan's hair over his shoulder. "By the way, why do you call me "man"? I notice you only do it in public, never at home."

Tiffan blushed, but his eyes misted over with sadness. "Because you don't like it when I call you "baby" or "sweetie". You don't like to let other people know we're together. Sometimes I think it's because you're embarrassed of me."

"Why would I be embarrassed?"

"Because I'm not a very good Soldier. The other night was the first time I ever earned a commendation. And all I did was rescue you and a few others from the battlefield. I'm not a big hero like you."

Cloud leaned in and kissed him clear on the mouth, showing him that he didn't care who was watching.

"You saved lives. That's all it takes to be a hero. Not medals, not praise, but the courage to risk your own life so someone else can live. You're _my_ hero, sweetheart, don't forget that."

"I won't."

"Well? Are we gonna dance or not?"

Tiffan's heart raced faster than ever, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. He couldn't help but stare into Cloud's deep blue eyes as they began dancing. There was something different about his face; he looked about 10 years older, at first Tiffan attributed it to his new body enhancement as well as the fact that he'd just woken from a coma. But, there was something else that he just couldn't put his finger on.

Cloud was also kinder and gentler than he was before. He was completely opposite from his old self. Aside from claiming to be straight and not interested in more than hugging and kissing, Tiffan was actually happier with Cloud now. Sex wasn't everything to Tiffan like it was to the old Cloud, and he relished the fact that this new Cloud demanded so little of him. He didn't want him to change back; he wanted to live like this forever, except for one thing.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

Tiffan's heart climbed up to his throat and he struggled to find the words, "Will you marry me?"

Cloud froze. He hadn't expected something like that. He didn't know if he was surprised that Tiffan even considered such a thing or if it was because he was the one getting proposed to rather than doing the proposing. In that moment, he very nearly said _yes_ for some reason. He had to stop, collect his thoughts, and actually set himself right.

First, Cloud never pictured himself married to a man. Secondly, what about Tifa in his world? Then there was the fact that he had no intention of staying there in _Backwardsville_. And finally, he had to remind himself that he was 8 years in the past, and that meant that Tiffan was only _15-years-old!_ Granted, this technically meant that Cloud was 16 in this world, but from where he came from he was 24. Did that still count as robbing the cradle? Not really, 15 is the legal age in Midgar…But it still left Cloud feeling odd.

Tiffan tried to read Cloud's vacant expression. He was staring at him like he wasn't seeing him. Suddenly, Cloud snapped out of it as he drew in a sharp breath.

"Yeah…"

"What?"

"Yeah, I'll marry you." _Why did I say that? I'll just break his heart when I go back home…_ If _I can go back home._

"Really? You mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"Oh, Cloud!" Tiffan rushed into his arms, squeezing him so tight, Cloud thought he'd pop. "I love you!"

Shrugging him off just enough to breathe, Cloud was about to return his affections when he happened to glimpse a flash of silver hair passing through the crowd. At that second, he very nearly forgot Tiffan was even there.

"Hey, why don't you go find a seat and I'll get us some drinks, okay?"

"Alright." Tiffan went off to find a table, completely unaware of Cloud's true intentions.

Meanwhile, Cloud navigated through the crowd, looking for Sephiroth. She was just there; she couldn't have gotten far. He searched for several minutes before he found her sitting in a corner booth, her arms crossed and her head bowed.

"Sephiroth?" He uttered, barely loud enough to hear.

Either she'd heard him or seen him, because she glanced up in his direction. In a matter of seconds, her face shifted through a series of emotions; surprise, shock, embarrassment, anger, and then…

"Cloud…What are you doing here?" Her words were stoic, but the smile she fought to hide was evident.

"I just saw you, I wanted to apologize for the other night." Cloud wasn't lying, but he had to bite his tongue to hide what he really wanted to say to her _– You look sexy, let's go fuck in the bathroom_ – or something like that.

"Whatever." She turned away from him.

"I don't know what came over me and I'm sorry for asking something so inappropriate of you."

"Ha!" She scoffed, "What you should be sorry for is trying to lead me on while you've got a boyfriend!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sephiroth. I never meant to lead you on."

"Don't give me that." She stood, facing him fully.

Cloud was completely taken aback by her appearance. She was wearing a very short red halter dress with a plunging neckline. Her nude stiletto pumps gave her extra height and only helped make her look more delicious.

Shaking away any lecherous thoughts, Cloud continued, "Listen, because of my injury at Fort Tamblin, I'm having trouble remembering things. Can you elaborate on exactly what happened between us?"

Her eyes grew wide before narrowing as her upper lip curled up. "You're serious…"

"Absolutely."

"Alright, buy me a drink we'll talk. But let's make it quick; I don't want Genesis to see you."

"Are you and Genesis –"

"No. He's only my friend." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bar, "If he sees you with me, he'll ask to watch us… _never mind_."

Cloud graciously paid for Sephiroth's drink, unfortunately for him, it wasn't cheap. "You're an expensive date."

"After what you've put me through you're lucky that's all you paid." She looked him up and down, taking in his overnight transformation. "You've gotten bigger."

"That's what Tiffan said."

"Yes…Of course." She wrinkled her nose at the mention of him.

"Body enhancement in the lab." Cloud explained unnecessarily. "So…about us."

"Right…"

* * *

 ** _-One Week Prior to the Battle of Fort Tamblin-_**

Sephiroth stood on the outside terrace overlooking the city. Her heart was nagging in her chest and tears dried in sticky trails on her cheeks. She always thought she was stronger than that, always assumed she would win every battle no matter how big or small. But that was one struggle she couldn't overcome.

He left her, the love of her life. Left her with nothing but a broken heart and a bouquet of flowers. He'd given them to her just to tell her that he was through. There was no other explanation than that he couldn't handle what she was. A laboratory freak. She'd tried to convince him she was still the same person, a human being though one with an unconventional birth. But she wasn't a human, at least not completely. It was too much for him to process so he walked away.

As she reflected on the argument they'd had, the threats she made at him, she found herself regretting every moment and hoped that he'd return. She fantasized that he'd come walking in right then, just appearing on the balcony and taking her back.

Someone did come, but it wasn't him. As she heard the footsteps, Sephiroth jumped from her reverie, trying to wipe away the tears.

"Why are you crying?" Cloud stepped out of the shadows, approaching her slowly.

"I'm not crying." She sniffed, embarrassed at her obvious lie.

"No, of course not." Cloud grinned as he came closer. "After all, what reason do you have to cry? The highest ranking Soldier, the first in fact; the wealthiest of us all, and not to mention the most beautiful woman in Midgar. You've got no reason to cry."

Suddenly, Sephiroth didn't feel like any of those things. She felt like she had nothing, and no amount of power, wealth, or beauty could change that. For some reason, the fact that he pointed all that out made it harder for her to conceal her feelings.

"He left me, Cloud. Aeron left me…" Unable to hold it in any longer, she began to weep anew.

"Oh, come here." Cloud opened his arms to her, and for the first time she gave into her weakness and let him comfort her. "It's his loss you know. To give up an amazing woman like you. I know if you were mine, I couldn't get enough of you."

"You really mean that?" She looked up into his eyes, half way hoping he was joking and half way hoping he was for real.

"Yeah, a real man knows a good woman when he sees one."

"But I'm no good. I'm _defective,_ that's what he said."

"Well Aeron is an idiot, I always thought so. He just couldn't handle a boring life as a florist when you were off being a hero."

"I guess…" She lowered her head in shame.

"Hey, look at me, Beautiful." He lifted her chin, "Forget at about him, let me show you how a _Soldier_ can make you feel."

Cloud leaned into her, mashing his lips against hers before she could protest. Her mind and heart screamed to push him off, but her body begged to let him have it his way. She needed the release; Aeron had refused for several months to touch her, and now Cloud was eager to give it to her.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Sephiroth moaned into his ear as he trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck.

"Shut up." He pushed her against the railing, "You know you want me."

Cloud shoved himself between her legs, ripping her panties down and off one leg. Caressing her thighs, he slowed down. He took her face in his hands, bringing her in for a softer, deeper kiss. It lasted forever, delicate yet passionate, making her heart flutter like it had never been broken.

While he had her distracted with the kiss, Cloud had unzipped his pants and hooked his arm under her knee before ramming himself inside of her. The force of his hips rippled through her, causing her to arch her back so far she nearly fell backward over the rail.

Sephiroth's legs locked around his hips, drawing him in deeper. The feeling of him inside of her was like nothing she'd never known. He was young and inexperienced, but he had a passionate fire inside of him that drove her wild. Aeron never made love to her like this, it was always slow and tender, but Cloud attacked her and rammed her with an animalistic force. Aeron was always too concerned about making her feel safe, but Cloud was dangling her over a 200 foot drop to her death.

It was exhilarating.

"Show me your tits," he commanded breathily as he pushed her top up to bare them. He didn't bother touching them or risk breaking his cadence to lean in to suck them; merely watching them bounce was satisfying enough.

Sensing him growing close to his climax, Sephiroth tried to still her hips. "Wait for me."

Cloud held on as long as possible, his fingers digging into her hips the closer he drew. Sephiroth reached for his shoulders, pulling herself up until he bore her full weight. He supported her as she took the lead, sliding up and down on him with nothing but the power of her legs. She grabbed handfuls of his surprisingly silky hair, mashing her mouth against his for one more tongue-tying kiss before they both reached the breaking point.

It was a sensation they both knew but was still shocking. Sephiroth cried out long and hard, while Cloud finally took one of her pert, pink nipples in his mouth, riding out his own orgasm in relative silence. Both their bodies shivered and quaked as love juices splashed out at their joining. Her lips fluttered around his shaft, squeezing and tugging until there was nothing left to attain from him.

Cloud abruptly dropped her to her feet, watching with a misty gaze as she stumbled back toward the railing. Leaning over, Sephiroth sought a deep breath. He watched her for a few moments until he felt his stomach contract.

"I'm hungry." With that, he about-faced and headed away from her.

Sephiroth cried, "Cloud, wait!" Running up to him, she grabbed his hand, "Come to me again."

The corner of Cloud's mouth tugged up in a triumphant grin, "Same time tomorrow, be ready for me right here."

The following night, Sephiroth and Cloud met again, then again another night. A total of five nights, they rendezvoused in the same place, reliving those moments over and over again. For Cloud it was sport, a fun pastime, but for Sephiroth, it was the beginning of something she hoped one day could be called love.

Then there was the Battle of Fort Tamblin. Every Soldier fought valiantly, but in Sephiroth's eyes, none so well as Cloud. He had been the hero of her heart, and now she would be the hero of his body; she kept her eyes on him every moment she could spare, vowing to herself to keep him safe. But for one brief moment, she lost sight of him, and when she found him again, his head and face were bloodied and he was being carried off the battlefield by another Soldier.

She fell to her knees, the fear that he might be dead shooting through her chest. Quickly, she found her feet, taking out her fear, sadness, and rage out on the men around her. She singlehandedly killed hundreds that day to avenge that beautiful boy.

Once the battle was won and the Soldiers returned home, Sephiroth wasted no time in getting to the hospital to see Cloud. He'd been terribly wounded and transported home almost immediately after, and Sephiroth had to endure days without knowing his fate.

When she entered the room, she found the Soldier that had saved him already at his side. She paused, her heart leaping in her chest.

"You're Tiffan Lockheart, aren't you?" She asked delicately.

"Yes, Ma'am." Tiffan stood up straight, saluting her.

"As you were." She waved her hand nonchalantly, wanting no ceremony. "Is he alright?"

"He's in a coma, Ma'am. They're not sure when he'll come to." Tiffan reseated himself beside Cloud, taking his hand.

"You were very brave to rescue him, thank you for doing so." Sephiroth looked down at Cloud's placid face, wanting more than anything to kiss his perfect lips. But as she was about to lower her head to his, she noticed Tiffan kissing Cloud's knuckles before cradling his hand to his chest. "You're Cloud's friend?"

"He's my boyfriend."

"Your…The two of you are lovers?" She rocked back on her heels, the tightness in her chest suddenly becoming overwhelming.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I…I-I see." She swallowed down the hard lump in her throat, slowly turning away from them. Her breathing became labored and her stomach lurched. Her bottom lip twitching, she rushed out before anyone could see her cry.

Once she made it back to her apartment, Sephiroth was so angry she wanted to tear the place to bits. But she didn't. Instead, she succeeded in smashing a glass she'd left on the coffee table before falling in a heap and crying her eyes out. She'd been abandoned by one man she loved desperately and another she hoped to love had kept his lover a secret from her.

She had laid there for hours until Genesis had come looking for her. He scraped her up off the floor and carried her to her room, sitting with her until she'd calmed enough to get some much needed rest.

Despite her anger and humiliation, Sephiroth was eager to visit Cloud again, once more suffering Tiffan's presence. As they sat together by Cloud's side, she looked Tiffan up and down, trying to gauge what it was that Cloud found attractive about him. For a man he was quite beautiful and she could imagine him as a woman easily; he had a soft, effeminate voice, and a slight build in comparison to most Soldiers, and to make things worse, he was so sweet and polite. In fact, Tiffan was so sweet that he even started making lunches for himself and Sephiroth to enjoy while they watched over Cloud together. He even bought Sephiroth a gift of a silver bangle as a "thank you" for her concern.

His sweetness nauseated her.

No matter how nice he was to her, she couldn't help but hate him more and more every day. She wished he'd stop being such a nice person, she wanted him to go away and stop feeding her and trying to give her presents she had no use for. She wanted him to disappear forever. All Sephiroth wanted was to have Cloud all to herself.

* * *

 _ **-Present Day at the Night Club-**_

"And there you have it, that's what happened between us." Sephiroth had a disgusting taste in her mouth, not even the expensive drink was enough to wash it away.

"Sephiroth…I…" Cloud was at a loss. There were no words he could say that would make anything alright again. The Cloud of this world had created a broken woman of Sephiroth who had no idea that the Cloud before her was completely innocent of his treachery.

"Save it, Cloud."

"Please, tell me, what can I do to make things right?"

Sephiroth consulted her drink again, this time downing half the glass in a single swig. "For starters, you can leave Tiffan."

"Leave him?"

"And then we can pick up where we left off."

"No." Cloud said without missing a beat.

"No?"

"That's right. I said 'no'. I'm not leaving him, in fact I just agreed to marry him." Cloud scoffed at her frank request, leaning in to order two drinks.

"You selfish bastard." Sephiroth bared her teeth to him.

" _I'm_ being selfish?"

"Yes, you took advantage of me! You thought I was just easy game!"

"Look, I've got no time for a self-righteous little bitch like you." Cloud leaned in to take his drinks from the bartender, "And by the way, Tiffan is a better lay than you'll ever be." _Why did I just say all that?_

Sephiroth grabbed him by the collar. "Why don't we go tell Tiffan how you fucked me? That you loved it as much as I did! I want to know how much he wants to marry you after he finds out that you're nothing but a cheating piece of shit!"

"Cloud?" The meek voice from behind him rendered Cloud speechless.

Cloud's heart beat furiously in his chest until it drowned out the music in his ears. His chest heaved with each labored breath as he fought for control of himself. Slowly, he turned around, finding Tiffan standing just behind him, close enough to have heard anything that was said between them. But how long had he been there?

" _Tiffan…"_ Cloud husked, his breath catching in his throat.

"So…Sephiroth _is_ the other woman…" His face remained stoic, but there was no doubt a deluge of tears were on their way as he turned and ran for the exit.

"Tiffan, wait!" Cloud looked back at Sephiroth, wanting so badly to beat the living hell from her, "You fucking cunt!"

"At least I've got one. And you like it."

Resisting the urge to hit her, Cloud slammed the glasses on the floor, finding some temporary satisfaction in it before taking off after Tiffan.

Genesis approached, clapping his hands sarcastically, "Well done, my friend. And here I thought you wanted to attract this guy to you, not run him off."

"It doesn't matter. He'll be mine soon."

* * *

Tiffan ran out of the backdoor and into the dark, vacant alley. Cloud was after him in seconds, finding him leaning up against the wall sobbing.

"Tiffan," Cloud reached for him but Tiffan slapped his hands away.

"Don't touch me!" He pushed Cloud further away, "Was all that true? Did you really sleep with her?"

"Tiffan…"

"Tell me!"

"No. No, it's not true." Cloud was being truthful of himself but lying for the other guy.

"Then why would she make it up?" Tiffan slammed his fist into Cloud's chest.

Cloud took this opportunity to wrap his arms around him despite his resistance. "Come on, let's not do this here."

* * *

 **Oh this one was tough for me to post. No matter how many times I rewrote it, it just never came out the way I wanted it.**


	6. Chapter VI: To Believe or Not To Believe

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Sorry, this chapter is mostly dialogue.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter VI: To Believe or Not To Believe**

"Listen, I'm sorry," Cloud tried to smooth things over, but nothing he said made it any better.

"How could you do that to me, Cloud?" Tiffan couldn't even look at him.

"I told you, _I_ didn't sleep with her."

Cloud sat back away from him, looking around the room. They'd taken refuge in a small bar near the nightclub. It was dark and full of cigarette smoke, and dreadfully quiet save for the clinking of glasses from the sleepy patrons a few feet away. It was a less than ideal place for the discussion they needed to have, but it was better than the noisy club. Having taken to a booth in the corner, Cloud hoped no one would overhear their conversation.

"Tiffan, I need to tell you something, but you're probably not going to believe me."

"What? That you love me and I'm the only one for you?" He spat, picking at a knot in the wooden table.

"No." Cloud rubbed his tired eyes and sighed heavily. "I do love you, but that's not what I need to say."

"Say it then."

"Tiffan, I'm not from here."

"I know that, we're from Nibelheim."

"That's not what I mean. I mean I'm not from this world."

Tiffan turned is head up slowly, his eyebrows knitted and his nose wrinkled. "A what? So what are you trying to tell me, that you're some kind of alien?"

"No, not exactly. I'm from this planet, but I'm from a parallel universe."

"A parallel…universe." Tiffan repeated slowly, as if trying out the words for the first time. He stared at Cloud for a few seconds before slapping him across the face. "What a load of crap! Look, if you want to break up with me why don't you just say so instead of making up a story."

Cloud understood then what Tiffan meant about being a lousy Soldier; he barely felt that slap. Tifa was a woman and never a Soldier, but she still would have sent him flying across the room. Still, he humored Tiffan by rubbing his cheek like it stung.

"I don't want to break up." Cloud looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "Just hear me out okay?"

"Fine…" Tiffan crossed his arms and leaned away from him.

"Okay, this is the truth, 100%. I'm from an alternate universe and I'm also from the future in that universe. 8 years from now to be exact. I'm not bigger because I had another mako enhancement, I'm bigger because I'm older, in fact I'm 24 years old."

"I can do math. Continue."

"Sorry. Anyway, in my world, I never was in SOLDIER, I was only in the infantry. Zack was my friend, and a girl named Tifa was my childhood crush and the woman I love now. And Sephiroth was and is today, my fiercest enemy. As a kid I adored and admired him, but when he turned on me and Zack and killed those I cared about, I bore a hatred for him that I never felt for anyone else in my life."

"Wait, you keep calling Sephiroth a 'he'."

"In this world Sephiroth is a woman, but in mine she's a man. And you're a beautiful woman."

"I'm Tifa."

"Yeah and I miss you so much."

Tiffan dropped his face in his hands, trying to process his claim. "Okay, say I believe you. What exactly are you doing here?"

"I got a hold of a materia that I was told can enable time travel. I was trying to go back in time to stop Sephiroth was destroying our lives. I wanted to either kill him when he went crazy or stop him from his mission all together. I wanted to give Tifa a real home in Nibelheim, I wanted her to have that dream cottage with a picket fence, and not constantly live from day to day not knowing what was going to happen."

"So I'm a woman in your world…Are we married?"

"No, but I'm going to change that when I get back."

"Do we have kids?"

"We adopted a little boy, his name is Denzel. And we take care of a friend's daughter, Marlene."

Tiffan leaned his head on the table, imagining what it must be like. "She's lucky to have a man like you." He whispered against the cool wood, "I never realized it until now, but my Cloud is really mean."

Cloud grasped a lock of his silky dark hair in his hand, "So you believe my story."

"I can't say if I do or not. It accounts for your sudden change in personality and your lack of memories…But, I don't know if this is just an effect of your wounds. You have brain damage, Cloud."

"Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you, but I'm telling you the truth, Tiffan. I'm not the same Cloud you know; I'm a different person all together."

"About Sephiroth, if you didn't sleep with her, then I'm assuming that the Cloud of this world did."

"That seems to be the case. I wish I could change that for you. I admit I want to have sex with Sephiroth; she's a really… _lovely_ lady. But I can't cheat on Tifa and therefore I can't cheat on you, even though I'm attracted to women."

"So…if things are backwards here from your world, how will this affect your future? I mean, my Sephiroth and yours aren't the same."

"I don't know yet. I'm not even sure I can go back home." Cloud twirled the lock of hair between his fingers. "Tifa must be worried sick by now. I hoped to have this done and over with in a day, but it's been almost a week."

"You really believe you're from an alternate universe." Tiffan peeked up at him.

"I am. I know it's hard to swallow."

"So if you're here. Then were his my Cloud?"

"I don't know. I just hope he's not wandering around in my world."

"Why can't you just use the materia to warp back home?"

"Because I don't have it anymore. It disappeared when I used it. Besides, it can only be used once."

"You didn't have a plan B did you?"

"No, an idiot move on my part, but I was confident that I'd change the past. I knew that I could defeat Sephiroth and so my future would be changed and I'd just enjoy the transition from that point on."

"So you were just going to relive those 8 years over again?"

"Yeah, if I changed the past, the future as I know it would no longer exist, so there would be no point in even trying to go back because there would be nothing to go back to."

Tiffan shut his eyes tight and grabbed his head as if his brain had been rattled. "I need to lie down."

"Come on, let's go home."

"What does this mean for you and me? Are we still getting married or are you going to forget about me as soon as you figure out how to get home?"

Cloud paused, having not thought it through that far. "I don't know."

Tiffan hissed at the table, "Forget I even asked you. Like you said, you're attracted to women anyway." He got up and headed out the door without him.

Cloud remained at the table, not bothering to chase after him. What would he say when he caught him? A weak "I'm sorry" wouldn't cut it. For the next few hours, he sat there drinking quietly in the corner, not bothering anyone and hoping no one would bother him.

* * *

At some point in the early hours of the morning, Cloud stumbled back the Shin-Ra Building. Given how inebriated he was, it was a miracle he'd made it back before passing out. He fumbled for his card, trying the lock. It wouldn't open. Again he tried to swipe the card, but it wouldn't unlock. Finally he resorted to knocking.

"Tiffan… _Tiffan_ …Come on honey open the door."

A moment later, the door opened, but it wasn't Tiffan who answered.

"Oh…shit."

" 'Oh shit' is right, asshole." Sephiroth snarled, flinging the door open. She was wearing a clingy black robe and due to her nipples poking through, Cloud was certain there was nothing under it but skin.

"Oh…" He repeated, unsure of how to react.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Uh…I thought this was my house."

"No, this is my house." She tilted her head to the side, a grin playing at her lips, "Are you drunk?"

"Pretty drunk, yeah."

She leaned against the door frame, "Where's your little boyfriend?"

"I'm not sure, but I think he broke up with me."

"That's too bad." Her tongue slid gingerly across her top lip.

"You don't mean that. You're thrilled."

"At least you're sound enough to know that." She resisted the urge to smile. "Why are you still standing there?"

"I dunno…I guess I wanted to say I'm sorry for the things I said at the club. That was not me; I don't know where that came from."

"No, actually it was very much you. You've always had a bad mouth. As a matter of fact, apologizing is very unlike you."

"Is that a turn off or something?"

"I don't know." She sighed with exasperation, "Come on, I'll get you something to sober you up."

"Thanks." Cloud followed her inside, not even bothering to question whether it was a good idea or not.

Sephiroth let him rest on her couch while she went into the kitchen. Grabbing out eggs and bacon to cook for him, she contemplated taking advantage of him just as he'd preyed on her. But she never enjoyed drunken sex, not even a little; if she was going to seduce him she was going to do it when they were both completely sober.


	7. Chapter VII: Something He Can't Do

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Sorry for the delay, I've been sick and the doc is thinking about admitting me to the hospital.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter VII: Something He Can't Do**

As Cloud lazed on Sephiroth's couch, he couldn't help but notice even through his drunken gaze how disjointed the room was. It was nicely decorated and the leather furniture was definitely expensive, but there were cobwebs in the corners of the ceilings, a broken glass near the wall, an inexcusable layer of dust coating the tables, not to mention the dead flowers rotting in the vase in front of him.

Shifting his eyes over the sideboard near the door, Cloud found a downturned picture frame. Checking to make sure Sephiroth was occupied, he slipped over to check out the picture. What he saw was the last thing he imagined. Sephiroth posing happily with a young man, a man that Cloud found freakishly familiar. Brown curls, sparkling green eyes, and the bouquet of flowers he was holding did nothing to disguise him.

"Oh god, that's Aerith…" He uttered.

"Did you say something?" Sephiroth called from the kitchen.

"N-no! I didn't say anything!" Cloud then turned his attention to Sephiroth's image. Wow…she was absolutely stunning in that picture.

"What are you doing?" Sephiroth's voice rang out behind him, causing his hair to prickle up across his body.

Cloud turned around slowly, the picture in his hand. "Uh…You're really pretty when you smile."

"How dare you! Get out!" She was about to throw the loaded plate at him, but he threw up his hands defensively.

"Wait! Wait, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know more about you. I didn't mean to snoop."

She held the plate at the ready, "Put the picture down."

"So that's the boyfriend that left you?" Cloud replaced it exactly as he found it.

"What of it?"

"Listen," He inched forward, cautiously taking the plate from her hand, "Just talk to me won't you?"

Sephiroth backed up and fell onto the couch, "What do you want me to say?"

Cloud took up the space beside her, breathing in the wonderful scent of the bacon. Hoping it wasn't poisoned and taking the risk, he took a bite. Perfection.

"This is really good."

"Get to the point."

"Right…" Setting the plate on his lap, Cloud searched through his hindered brain for the right words. "Will you just tell me about yourself? And…I want to know more about your ex."

"My ex?" She snorted, "First of all, he wasn't my boyfriend…He was my husband."

"Oh." Cloud sensed the tension get a bit thicker. "So, exactly why did he leave you?"

Sephiroth narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't really want to tell him why, but she needed to get it off her chest. "He left me because I'm different. When we got married, he thought I was a normal woman, and that I just had strange eyes because I'm in SOLDIER."

"Then he found out you were born in a lab."

She froze. There was no way he could possibly know that. And he said it so indifferently, like it was old news. "How did you know that?"

Cloud hesitated. He had totally forgotten that he didn't know about Sephiroth's origin until Nibelheim. But…Sephiroth didn't know about it until then either. "Uh…you told me."

"No I didn't. I've never told anyone."

"Then how did your husband find out?"

"How did you?" She rubbed her forehead, trying to center herself.

Cloud wasn't eager to share his story with Sephiroth, but now that he'd let it slip, he had to. "Sephiroth, I know the truth about your birth, and it's not because I went snooping in places I shouldn't have been."

"How then?"

"The truth is, and you can choose to believe me or not. But I'm from the future…and also from an alternate universe."

"What?" She covered her mouth to hide her smile.

"Okay, to start…you and I are enemies where I'm from and it's got nothing to do with us sleeping together or me keeping a lover from you. On top of that… _yourkindofadude_.

"What was that?"

Cloud shoved a huge helping of eggs in his mouth, "This is really great."

"Don't change the subject, tell me what you just said."

"In my world, you're a man."

"You mean, in your fantasy world I'm a man, because you're gay?"

"No, I mean in my dimension, you're a guy and I'm actually totally straight."

"But you're dating Tiffan."

"Actually, my doppelganger in this world is dating Tiffan, I just happen to be in his shoes."

"Okay, we're off topic, how do you know about me?"

Cloud took a deep breath, cramming more bacon in his mouth as he recounted the entire story from his perspective. He told her everything from how the Sephiroth of his world found out about his origin, his attack on Nibelheim, Meteor, and on until his latest confrontation with him.

"That's why I'm here. I came back in time to stop Sephiroth from going nuts. But somehow I got off course."

Sephiroth had been holding her hands over her mouth for his entire story. Now that he was done she wanted to laugh so hard. "I can't believe you made all that up!"

"What? I'm not making this up!"

"You actually expect me to believe all of that? Okay, okay, um…since I already know where I come from, how do you propose you stop me from going crazy?"

"I told you, I was supposed to stop the other Sephiroth."

"Right. Now tell me how you really found out about me."

He looked her dead in the eyes, beginning to sober up. "I'm not lying to you. That is how I found out."

"Cute, Cloud, real cute. Only you got something backwards, um, Jenova is actually my real mother. Lucretia Crescent is my adopted mother; she only raised me."

"Well, in my world, Lucretia is your mother."

"I wish that were true. Because then Aeron wouldn't have left me and we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Trust me, if I could switch you out with the Sephiroth in my world, I would in a heartbeat."

"And why's that?"

"Because you're honestly a better person than he is. And despite what I said out of anger last night, I actually kind of like you."

Sephiroth took his empty place, turning away from him to hide her blushing, "You should be going now. You need to see if Tiffan is okay."

"Isn't that the opposite of what you want?"

She stood with the intention of going to the kitchen, but did not move, "You said it yourself, this place is nothing but opposites. And besides, you shouldn't care what I want, because I really am a selfish bitch."

"Why would you say that about yourself?" Cloud crept up behind her, dangerously close. He breathed in her peppermint scented hair, biting back the urge to touch her.

"Because I'm aware of myself. I know what kind of person I am." She turned around, finding her face just inches from his chest. "Unlike you, I meant what I said last night. I want you to leave Tiffan and be with me."

"Why me? We barely know each other." Cloud unconsciously leaned into her, very nearly pressing his forehead against hers.

"Because of the way you made me feel that night." She pressed her lips against his. Dropping the plate on the floor, she threw her arms around his neck, pushing him to the couch.

Cloud responded to her favorably, regardless of his better judgment warning him not to. He slid his hands up her thighs as she straddled his hips, running his fingers up her silky robe until he found the thin sash holding it closed. The flimsy garment slid from her, leaving her completely naked.

Forcing his face away from hers, he looked down at her body. Strangely, he felt like it was the first time he'd ever seen a naked woman. His hands were trembling, his mind and heart racing. Raising his shaking fingers to her breast, he gently caressed her, taking in the velvety feel.

Sephiroth smiled sweetly, her eyes softening at his almost innocent demeanor. It was like hers were the first breasts he'd ever seen or touched in his life. "Are you sure your story is true," she purred, "is there really another woman you've made love to besides me?"

Cloud met her gaze. Blinking a few times, he almost felt as if he'd just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Yes." He dropped his hand from her. Again his eyes scanned her body, but only because he was trying to remember how he got in that position. "I've gotta go."

He pushed her off of him, scrambling to his feet. Within seconds he was gone, leaving her behind on the floor.

Sephiroth stared at the door as it slammed shut, drawing her knees up to her chest as if trying to hide her nakedness. She was left speechless, her mind blank, with a numb feeling creeping into her chest. Dropping her head to her knees, she swallowed the tears her body begged to expel.

"I need him gone…"


	8. Chapter VIII: A Close Shave

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter VIII: A Close Shave**

Cracking open the door, Cloud peeked in to see if the coast was clear. Due to how they parted ways last night, he was certain Tiffan would still be upset. Slipping in as quiet as possible, Cloud was careful not to let the latch click or let his boots smack heavily on the floor. Creeping toward the bedroom, he turned the knob slowly, peering around the corner, he found the room dark and no one seemed to be inside. Backing out, he turned toward the bathroom, finding the light glowing from under the door.

Listening, he heard the cabinet door closing, a clinking noise, and the sink faucet turning on. Gathering his nerve, he grabbed the doorknob and opened it slowly, tapping gently on the door as he did so. He opened it up to find Tiffan in not but his boxers, with a glob of shaving cream in his hand, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Cloud…" Without a second thought, he ran to Cloud grabbing his waist with his free arm. "Oh Cloud, I was worried about you!"

Cloud, who had tensed when he rushed him, instantly relaxed and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Tiffan."

"Don't, please. I'm sorry I ran away last night. I just didn't know what to do. I tried to sleep it off but I couldn't."

"I was worried about you too. Just the same, I didn't know what to do."

Kissing his cheek, Tiffan smiled, "Well, there's one thing we both need to do right now." He smacked Cloud's cheek playfully with the shaving cream. "Shave."

Cloud found a genuine smile, smearing the cream across his jaw, "You're old enough to shave?"

"I've been shaving for a year now." Tiffan squirted another blob of cream into his hand.

Suppressing a laugh under his breath, Cloud grabbed his razor from the side of the sink. For some reason, it was funny to even think that Tiffan needed to shave. He looked so much like Tifa that sometimes Cloud forgot he was a man.

The pair remained silent for a while, leaving Cloud to his thoughts. He wanted to tell Tiffan where he was, but he couldn't stand to break his heart any more than he already had. As Cloud scraped the last of his stubble away, he continued watching as Tiffan finished up. He was so beautiful, so sweet and so quick to forgive. Just like Tifa. Had Tiffan been a woman, Cloud might actually consider staying there forever.

Just as Tiffan dried his face, he looked up at Cloud who was staring at him with a goofy grin. He blushed brightly and looked away from him. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Cloud glanced in the mirror, the awkward smile still on his lips. He hadn't even realized he was doing it. He straightened up and answered honestly, "A part of me wishes I could stay here with you."

Tiffan's face greyed at the thought of Cloud leaving. "What do you mean?"

"I don't belong here. When I find a way to get home, I'll have to leave."

"Please don't talk about that anymore. Look, you promised me you'd see a doctor; so let's get dressed and go?"

Cloud hesitated, feeling that alien sort of anger bubbling in his stomach. He nearly lunged at Tiffan, sending him reeling back. Stopping himself, Cloud caught Tiffan's arm before he could fall into the shower.

"Are you alright?"

"I thought you were going to hit me." Tiffan shook away from Cloud.

"For a moment I thought I was too. I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me." He put his arms out to him, coaxing him to come close again.

Tiffan entered his arms, holding him tight. "I'm sorry I made you mad."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't you…It's this _place_. Every day that goes by, I feel like I'm becoming the other guy."

"Let's go see the doctor, maybe there's some explanation."

* * *

Without much ado, Tiffan and Cloud adjourned to the hospital floor. Once they'd checked in as walk-ins, they were directed to the waiting room. Inside, Cloud's stomach clenched and his heart fell at the sight before him.

Sephiroth just happened to be there, having arrived just moments before them. She didn't notice them at first, flipping through a magazine. But as Cloud tried to sneak by, she glimpsed him in her peripheral vision.

"Good morning, Soldier." She sat up, crossing one leg over the other.

"…Hi." Cloud gulped, feeling sick.

"Hey, good morning, Sephiroth." Tiffan chirped as he took up a chair beside her.

"Oh, hello, Lockheart." She murmured with zero enthusiasm.

"So what are you in for today?"

Clearing her throat, Sephiroth slid the magazine down beside her in the chair, "Nothing. Just a wellness exam."

"Cloud's not feeling well. We're here to get his head seen to."

"Really? Well I hope he feels better. Even during peacetime I need him to perform at his finest." She locked eyes with the nervous Cloud, staring at him as if trying to send him a telepathic message.

He gazed back questioningly, but said nothing.

"Thank you." Tiffan said cautiously, trying to analyze the true meaning behind her words.

* * *

The tension mounted as the three of them sat together quietly. Sephiroth never returned to her magazine, keeping it carefully hidden beneath her leg. Tiffan wanted to confront Sephiroth about what she'd said the night before, but had no clue how to approach the situation. Cloud just wanted to leave, praying that what happened between him and Sephiroth that morning would go unspoken.

The three of them soon began to fidget. Sephiroth crossed her arms and unconsciously began to rock from side to side, checking her watch every several seconds. Tiffan began tapping his knee, glancing at the clock over the door. Cloud tried to sit perfectly still, but soon gave in to thumping his heel on the thankfully carpeted floor.

Finally and not a moment too late, the door opened and a nurse walked out. "Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth nearly leapt out of her chair, racing for the door as if her life depended on it. She said nothing as she disappeared behind frosted glass.

Tiffan and Cloud finally relaxed. Just as he'd breathed a sigh of relief, Tiffan glanced over the magazine Sephiroth was so eager to hide. Carefully turning it over, he drew in a sharp breath when he realized it was a magazine for expectant mothers.

His heart sank. Sephiroth claimed that before the battle, she and Cloud had slept together. And now, 10 weeks later, she was in the doctor's office. A _wellness exam_ , yeah right, she was there for a _pregnancy test!_

"What's wrong?" Cloud tapped his arm gently, but Tiffan shook him off.

"This, this is what's wrong." He slammed the magazine into Cloud's lap.

"Huh?" He picked it up, his eyes growing wide at the heavily pregnant model on the cover. "A-and?"

"And? You said you didn't sleep with her."

"I didn't, Tiffan. I swear on my mother's grave, I never betrayed you." He tossed the magazine with the pile on the coffee table before them. "She could've just been reading it because she was bored. This room is kind of lacking; they could at least put a TV in here."

Tiffan grinned indignantly, "Right, if she was just bored then why didn't she pick up a fashion magazine, or something about food, or vacation destinations? Why one about pregnancy?"

"I have no idea! What do I look like, a mind-reader?"

Tiffan just clammed up and turned away from him. Cloud took a deep, cleansing breath and tried to relax his aching body.

"Look, honey," He grabbed Tiffan's hand, bringing it up to his chest, "I chose you. Just know that, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I have the power to pick either one of you and I choose to be with you."

"But you basically told me you weren't staying. I don't know what that means. Are you going to break up with me? Are you going to leave SOLDIER? Are you gonna take your own life? What?"

"None of those things. I told you, I'm not from here, Tiffan. I'm not the man you think I am. And when I'm gone, things will go back to normal; the Cloud you know will come back."

"What if I don't want him to come back? I love you more now than I ever did before."

"Then why are we here? What if the doctor finds out what wrong with me, gives me medicine or whatever and I go back to the way I was? What if I go back to being the selfish, abusive, unaffectionate dick I used to be?"

Tiffan dropped his forehead into his hand and bit his lip. "I don't know."

"Come on, let's blow this place. Let's go do something fun."

"No. We're staying," Tiffan slammed his fist down on the chair arm. "I have an idea. We'll request they scan your brain again, if they find damage, then you'll follow the doctor's orders and get well again. But if the scans show nothing, then perhaps I'll be more inclined to believe your story."

"Deal."


	9. Chapter IX: Too Much

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. I had a hard time deciding what avenue to take with this one. I know where I want to go, but getting there is proving kind of hard.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter IX: Too Much**

Tiffan watched through the window as the technician started Cloud's iodine drip. His skin prickled with goosebumps despite wearing a sweater and he soon had chewed all his fingernails down to the quick.

"How long until we know something?" He choked.

"We'll have the results immediately." The nurse assured him.

"What if there's something really wrong with him?"

"If there's something wrong, we'll find a way to fix it."

Despite her reassurance, Tiffan wasn't convinced. He rocked from one foot to the other, gnawing at his thumbnail as he watched the CT scanner pass over Cloud's head. The nurse was surprised that there were no relatively new scars or other physical abnormalities visible on his skin.

"Can I ask you something?" Tiffan said. "Uh…Can significant damage to one's brain drastically change their personality or how they perceive reality?"

The nurse's eyebrows knitted, she considered the question for a moment, but nodded. "It's very possible. Why do you ask?"

"I didn't want but to mention it in the exam room," Tiffan shivered like he was cold, "But he's changed a lot, it's like his personality just did a complete 180. He seems to recognize everyone he's met since waking up, but he remembers us differently."

"How so?"

"For instance…He swears that I'm supposed to be a woman, and Sephiroth is supposed to be a man. On top of that, he shies away from being intimate with me because he claims to only be attracted to women. Can you explain that? How can someone's sexual orientation just up and change? He also says that he's from some kind of parallel world where everything is backwards from how it is here."

"As I explained before, confabulation, or false memories, is very possible, as well as personality change. Damage to certain areas of the brain can make an individual more prone to violent outbursts, lack of impulse control…etcetera. Also, it's rare, but sexual orientation as well as gender roles and gender identification can change as well."

"That's so weird. About his personality…it's the opposite. Cloud used to be aggressive and impulsive before, but now he's calmer and more rational. He's quick to apologize and he's careful about my feelings. That's what's weird about it."

The nurse shook her head, clearly out of ideas. "We'll know more when we see how the test turns out."

"Okay…"

* * *

Cloud lay back on the examination table, draping his arm over his face to shield his eyes from the imposing light. They'd been waiting forever it felt like; the ticking of the clock on the wall above him slowly driving him mad.

Tiffan's heart felt heavy as it thrummed on top of his stomach, sending it into somersaults. Was it anxiety or hunger? Looking up at Cloud on the table beside him, he reached out, petting his soft blonde hair.

"Do you have a headache?" He whispered, not wanting to startle him.

"Kind of."

It was only a few minutes, but it seemed like forever. Cloud had nearly fallen asleep when the doctor walked back in. Scrambling to sit upright, Cloud would've fallen off the table had Tiffan not grabbed his arm just in time.

With a confused expression, the doctor placed her laptop on the roll away desk, turning the screen to them. There were two images of Cloud's brain, both perfectly clear.

"I don't understand, there's nothing there." Tiffan shook his head.

"Nor do I," the doctor said. "There was damage to the frontal lobe before. But now it's…it's gone. There's no way it could have healed like that."

Tiffan slowly looked at Cloud, who exhaled deeply. He watched Cloud's expression morph from relieved to content, then to somewhat smug. Cloud glanced cheekily at Tiffan's wide eyes, as if to say _"See? I told you so."_

Leaving the medical staff with more questions than

* * *

answers, Tiffan and Cloud headed silently back home. Tiffan kept his distance of Cloud, unsure of how to think or feel. He had no idea how to even speak. Even when they made it to the apartment, he couldn't find the right words.

Cloud on the other hand was relieved that he hadn't lost his mind quite yet. But he felt the tension mounting between them. Fortunately for his speechless companion, Cloud was able to find his voice.

"So what now?"

"What do you mean?" A shiver raced up his spine.

"Do you believe me?"

"I don't know," Tiffan stumbled toward the bedroom, "But I do know that you're not my Cloud."

"Tiffan…" Cloud had no time to speak before Tiffan shut the door on him.

Feeling that Tiffan needed time alone to sort his feelings, Cloud left. As he entered the hall, he felt the disk in his pocket and knew one more person that needed to see the MRI images. He wasn't sure if she was back from her own doctor visit, but felt it was worth a try.

Tapping on Sephiroth's door Cloud was surprised when it opened. But it wasn't Sephiroth who answered.

"Genesis?"

"Cloud?"

"Why are you wearing an apron?"

"I was just cleaning up in here."

"Why's it pink?"

"It's Sephiroth's."

"She wears pink?"

"Shocked me too." Genesis laughed breathily, opening the door wider, "She should be back at any minute. Come on in."

"Wait, you're not jealous that I'm here?"

Genesis locked eyes with him, his mouth becoming a hard line, "I never said I wasn't. And since you brought it up why are you here?"

"Uh…I just needed to talk to her. It's really important."

Genesis huffed and pushed past him, returning to folding Sephiroth's long neglected laundry. Cloud looked around, astounded by how different the place looked. The curtains on the window were open, letting in natural light, the tables and shelves had been dusted and cleared of clutter and trash. The broken vase swept up and the dishes were spotless. And now her clothes were clean and fresh.

"This place looks great. You fixed it up on your own?"

"Yeah, someone had to do it; she wasn't going to."

"I figured she was happy with it like that. Isn't she gonna be mad?"

"Perhaps," Genesis placed the laundry basket aside. "But I don't care."

Something about Genesis' behavior and the way he answered set off a bell in Cloud's mind. "Can I ask you something? Something personal?"

"You can. Doesn't mean I'll answer it though."

"Do you have feelings for her?"

Genesis seemed to ignore him, grabbing the basket and heading for Sephiroth's bedroom. Cloud followed, hoping to either get the answer or apologize.

"Why would you ask me that?" Genesis began to neatly stack the clothes in the dresser.

"Sorry, I just never knew a guy to willingly clean up a girl's house unless he wanted something out of it."

"First off, Sephiroth is not a girl, she's a woman. Second, are you such a guy?"

Cloud paused. Scratching the back of his head, he nodded, "Unfortunately. Once I cleaned the entire bar so Tifa wouldn't have to."

"And what did that get you?"

"She came to bed sooner."

"And that's what you wanted?"

A smug grin tugged at the corner of Cloud's mouth, "If you knew Tifa, you'd want her to come straight to bed too."

Genesis rolled his eyes, shaking his head slowly, "So you're playing with someone else's heart too?"

"What?"

Genesis slammed the drawer shut, "Sephiroth, Tiffan, and now this Tifa person? Do you even care about any of them?"

Cloud's back stiffened, "Yes I do. That's why I'm here. Sephiroth and Tiffan both need to know the truth so they can get on with their lives and so I can find a way to get back home to Tifa."

"What truth?"

"That I'm not the guy they think I am. Tiffan is already starting to get the hint, I think, and now I need to show Sephiroth the evidence before things get worse."

Genesis raised an eyebrow at him, side-stepping to get past him.

"What was that look for?"

"For thinking that Sephiroth and Tiffan are both so stupid as to mistake you for someone else."

"I don't think they're stupid. But I do think they're confused. I know I am. Look, I'm not from here. I'm from a parallel world, I wish I knew how and why I got here but somehow I am and I'm living in the shoes of my doppelganger. I did not sleep with Sephiroth and I don't intend to. I'm in a committed relationship with a woman named Tifa and all I want is to go home to her."

Genesis' eyes widened and one of them twitched. "…Bullshit…"

"I sincerely wish I was bullshitting you, but I'm dead serious. I need to show her the pictures on this disk." He held the disk out to him, "They're the images from my MRI. When the Cloud you know was wounded at Fort Tamblin, he suffered serious brain injuries that left him in a coma for weeks. The scans done this morning show no sign of any such damage."

Genesis took the disk cautiously. "I'll show her the pictures if you leave right now."

"I'm leaving, just make sure she sees them."

* * *

Cloud leaned against the door as he closed it behind him. He wanted to be there to explain everything to her again, but the last thing he needed was Genesis as an enemy. Satisfied with the hope that he'd show her the pictures, Cloud was about to start down the hall when a voice rang out behind him.

"Stop right there, Soldier." Sephiroth approached from behind, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "What were you doing in my house?"

He turned to face her, "I was just…I was hoping to find you. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" She dropped her hand, taking a step back from him.

"I wanted to show you the images from my MRI. I really need you to believe my story."

Sephiroth sighed heavily, shutting her eyes tight lest she roll them. "Look, I've had a hard morning. Can we just drop it? Please?"

Looking into her eyes, Cloud noticed the redness around the edges, making them greener than they actually were. She wasn't lying, something was definitely wrong.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." She went for the doorknob, but Cloud grabbed her arms, pulling her to his chest.

"Tell me." He felt that ache in his core again. The desire he had for her. Seeing even the slightest vulnerability lit it up.

"I want something, Cloud. But I'm not sure how to get it." Her lips trembled as she struggled to keep her composure.

"What is it?"

"I'm not ready to tell you yet." She shrugged out of his grasp and entered her apartment, slamming the door in his face.

Glancing at the sideboard, she realized the picture of her and Aeron was sitting upright and free of dust. Tracking her eyes across the floor she saw the clean, decluttered coffee table and the new addition replacing the vase that held her flowers. The flowers had been cut from the stems and coated with some sort of glossy resin before being placed into a beautiful lidded jar on a pedestal.

"What?" She saw Genesis standing in front of the open window. "Why are you wearing that stupid thing?"

"I thought it would bring out my eyes." He joked, hoping to arouse some kind of humor in her.

Sephiroth wanted to smile, but found it too difficult as she began to cry. Genesis went to her, offering her a friendly hug. She accepted his affection, burying her face in his shoulder.

She whimpered softly. "I'm not allowed to have anything even remotely normal, am I?"

"Sephiroth…"

"I hate my life…I just want to be a normal woman, and I can't. They took it away from me and didn't even ask me first."

"They bred you be a Soldier and nothing more."

"I'm the best Soldier there is! Why can't I be a wife and a mother too? Why is that too much to ask for?"

That was the moment Genesis felt his heart truly break for the first time.


	10. Chapter X: Violated

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Omg, my dyslexia was bothering me so bad while writing this one. I hope I caught my mistakes.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter X: Violated**

Tiffan hadn't come out of the bedroom for hours. When he finally emerged he appeared groggy and somewhat disconnected. He stumbled first into the bathroom and then into the kitchen returning a while later with two cups of instant coffee.

"Are you alright?" Cloud asked, taking his mug.

"I'm ok." Tiffan slowly sipped his coffee, doing his best to keep his eyes off of Cloud.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not being who you want me to be."

"Don't apologize. I am confused and a little scared, but…" Tiffan shrugged, "…a part of me is kind of relieved that he's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Since you showed up, I've realized how poorly he treated me. I really thought we were in love, but it wasn't real was it?"

"I can't speak for him because I'm not him. However, based on what I've learned, I would say probably not."

"Where do you think he is?"

"I don't know. And a part of me doesn't want to know." Cloud scooted closer to him, wanting to hug him but afraid of sending the wrong message.

"Same here." Tiffan drew in a deep breath and took a heavy gulp of his coffee. "Do you think he really did sleep with Sephiroth?"

Cloud didn't want to answer that question, but he was sure that Sephiroth was telling the truth. "Yes, I think he did."

Tiffan closed his eyes tight, holding his breath to keep from sobbing. Cloud finally wrapped his arms around him, hoping to ease his pain if only a little. "How am I…supposed to feel?" He squeaked.

"Angry, sad, betrayed, used, disgusted…I know that's how I'd feel if I found out Tifa had done that to me."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pretty sure I believe you now. But I'm still confused."

"Trust me, I am too."

Tiffan found half a smile however tragic it was, "I wish you were gay."

Cloud stifled a chuckle, "Why?"

"Because I love you more than the other Cloud. And I want you to be my husband."

"But we just met."

"Even so, I know that you're a wonderful person. If nothing else, will you at least be my friend?"

"I thought we already were friends."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Why didn't they give me any options?" Sephiroth breathed as she reclined back to put her feet in Genesis' lap.

"Maybe they thought that _was_ the only option." Genesis spaced her toes with cotton balls.

"I would've thought that they'd at least ask me what I wanted."

"You know as well as I do that ShinRa doesn't give a damn. They made us to live our lives as Soldiers, what we actually want out of life doesn't matter."

"If you weren't a Soldier, what would you be?"

Genesis thought for a moment, and grinned as he picked up a bottle of nail polish, "I'd be your manservant."

Sephiroth was finally able to find a smile, "Manservant? Why?"

"I guess because we've been friends for so long I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"What about Angeal?"

"When was the last time we actually spent time together? Lately it's like he's forgotten we exist. So anyway, what about you?"

"If wasn't a Soldier, I would…" She trailed off imagining what she once was so close to having, "…I would have a family." She scoffed at herself, "I can't believe I said that. I only started thinking about it today. Absurd, I know, being so torn up over something I wasn't really interested in before."

"That's because before no one told you that you couldn't have it."

"But why does it hurt so badly?"

"Because you're a mother who lost her child."

"It was just a fetus." She tried to dismiss it, though unconvincingly.

"It doesn't matter; it was a part of you."

"Thanks for trying to help." She glanced down at the impeccable job he was doing, "You _would_ pick red, wouldn't you?"

"Of course. What do you take me for?" Genesis grew silent for a moment, the smile slipping from his lips. "You know, you could try again. Only this time keep it a secret until it's too late."

"But what am I supposed to do in the meantime? You said it yourself, we're Soldiers. I can't go into battle pregnant. And what about when I begin to show? What happens when the child is born? They'll never allow me to keep it."

"It was just a suggestion." He threw his hands up defensively. "I just want you to be happy."

Sephiroth breathed a shuttering sigh and closed her eyes. "I used to be happy. But someone ruined it."

"Who?"

"The person that told my husband what I really am."

"And what are you, exactly?"

"Something less than human. An abomination grown in a lab –"

"Stop it!" Genesis slammed the polish bottle onto the table. "I hate you feeling sorry for yourself. I get it, you're sad and angry and things have been difficult, but you're becoming less and less the Sephiroth I know. My Sephiroth is stronger than that. My Sephiroth would take matters into her own hands and change them to suit her own desires."

She cracked one eye open. "Did you just say _'my'_ Sephiroth?"

* * *

Cloud had taken to the balcony to watch the sun set; Tiffan remained inside, quietly sorting out his thoughts and emotions. Cloud was relieved, or at least a part of him was. He still need Sephiroth to believe his story.

"Hi Soldier." Sephiroth's voice carried on the breeze causing Cloud's ears to perk up.

He turned to her slowly, trying to figure out what to say to her. He was sure she'd seen the pictures by then and was coming to confront him about it.

"Hey…"

"I had a long talk with Genesis and I think I'm ready to tell you what I should've said earlier."

Cloud's tensed shoulders relaxed and he turned back to the view of the skyline as she came up beside him. She drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly through her nose. Sephiroth was never one to require herself to gather her courage; it was always right where she needed it. But just then, she was the most frightened she'd ever been in her life.

"I was pregnant, Cloud." She said suddenly.

He whipped around. "Pregnant!"

"Yes."

"Oh, my god…Tiffan was right."

Sephiroth gnashed her teeth together, "Tiffan? I tell you I was pregnant with your child and the first thing you bring up is _Tiffan?_ "

"Wha – _my_ child?"

"Yes."

Cloud leaned over the railing, his stomach doing somersaults. "My fiercest enemy is a gorgeous woman pregnant with my evil twin's baby." He gagged, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"If you're going to throw up, do it somewhere else." Sephiroth snarled, grabbing him by the collar. "Besides, I'm not pregnant anymore. I had an abortion."

Now Cloud really did feel ill. "Wait, why would you do that!"

"It wasn't my decision."

* * *

 ** _EARLIER THAT DAY_**

Sephiroth sat in the exam room, waiting for the nurse to walk in with the results. When she finally arrived, she was accompanied by a doctor and four other assistants. They encircled her, looking her up and down as if sizing her up, deciding if they could handle her by themselves.

Her stomach clenched and she sensed something akin to doom. Her arms tingled as her heartrate accelerated. She should have run for the door, but for the first time her fear riveted her to the spot.

"Do it." The doctor ordered, the nurse responding by grabbing Sephiroth's arm and stabbing her with a needle.

Suddenly, she went lightheaded, her eyelids becoming so heavy she could barely keep them open. The floor suddenly seemed close and her skin felt prickly, the walls shifted and the disfigured bodies of the medical staff twisted before fading to black.

It only seemed like a moment before Sephiroth woke. Her head was pulsing and her eyelids still felt weighted. She tried to sit up, but her body might as well been buried under a million bricks. Clenching her hands into fists, she forced herself up.

"Welcome back." The doctor said as he entered the room.

"What…happened…" Sephiroth's voice was murder to her own ears.

"It turns out that you were indeed pregnant. Nine weeks and three days. But not to worry, we took care of it for you."

"What do you mean?"

"We have aborted your pregnancy." He seemed proud of himself, like he'd done her a glorious favor. Without further explanation, he handed her a prescription for pain medication and left.

The nurse came in immediately after, instructing her on self care following an abortion. Sephiroth zoned out; the nurse's voice becoming nothing but a dull, monotonous buzz. She had never felt violated before, but after that moment, she almost thought she'd rather have been raped. Throughout her life she'd been a logical person, never relying too much on her feelings but rather her intellect. But after Aeron left the old Sephiroth went by the wayside, she tried to keep it hidden and did well to fool the others, but now she felt the rest of that strong exterior crumble away.

The tears didn't come immediately. First she almost felt nothing at all; the initial sense of violation gave way to numbness which she wore as a stone mask as she exited the clinic. Once she was alone in the hall, it slipped away to shock as she realized she was no longer a mother, the fluttery sensation in her stomach that she'd quickly grown accustomed to vanished entirely. Then the tears made their escape. The thought of being alone and never knowing motherhood, never knowing what it was like to have that feeling of utter completion settled into her heart and squeezed it to the point that she lost her breath. Her legs were wobbly and her skin was cold. Falling to her knees, she curled up into a ball and cried hard and loud.

* * *

 **ON THE BALCONY**

Cloud stared at her in disbelief. His entire body was tense and his heart throbbed so hard he feared she'd hear it. "I'm sorry."

"As the father, I thought you deserved to know."

Swallowing down the rigid lump in his throat, he shook his head. "I'm not the father, Sephiroth. A part of me wishes I was, but I'm not."

"Of course you are, I haven't been with anyone else. And the last time Aeron and I made love was six weeks before he left me." A chill ran up her spine.

"You didn't look at the pictures did you?"

"Genesis showed them to me. But it does not prove that you're from another world. I know who you are, Cloud Strife, and I know what happened between us."

He wanted to say more, but he bit his tongue. There was no convincing this one, she was absolutely certain he was the same Cloud she'd been with before.

"What do you want from me?" He said, at a loss for anything else.

"I want you to leave Tiffan and be with me."

"There you go again." He didn't want to argue; the poor woman had been through enough, but she knew how to push him.

"What is it about him you love so much?"

"Nothing, I'm not in love with Tiffan. I'm in love with a woman named Tifa. She's the love of my life and please don't ask me to compare the two of you. There's nothing to compare."

"If you love her so much, then why are you looking at me like that?"

Cloud hadn't realized what sort of expression he had on his face. Sephiroth noticed it though. His eyes had been half lidded, the tranquil cobalt color intensified to the point that they raged like blue fire. His cheeks were flushed as well, his lips parted with heavy breaths.

He blinked a few times, trying to erase the impassioned look. "I'm in love with Tifa and I mean it. However, I do want you, as much of you as I can get. But I won't, not while she breathes; I won't betray her."

Sephiroth smirked, turning away from him. "I understand."


	11. Chapter XI: Scars She Doesn't Love

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Omg...here we go again! Between job, husband, toddler, new baby, and serious illness, I've found it next to impossible to do much writing, but I'm gonna try to finish this story! Okay, so this chapter takes us back to the beginning of the story, showing us Tifa's side just hours after Cloud goes back to the past.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XI: Scars She Doesn't Love**

Tifa drew in a deep, heavy breath as she watched Cloud's sleeping form on the bed. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stroked away the goose bumps.

Cloud had been gone for less than a day, he was found outside the city by passersby who recognized him. They'd said he was laying face down in the dirt, his motorcycle dumped over on top of him. A wreck, they'd assumed, however they'd remarked how there didn't seem to be any sign otherwise. The tire tracks were normal, showing no sign of having lost control and there were no obvious obstacles he could've hit. And aside from a strange scar on his scalp, he didn't appear to have any serious injuries.

Tifa's back trembled as she looked at him, like he was some kind of stranger. She'd undressed him to inspect his body for injuries and when she did she didn't recognize him from the neck down. He was muscular and lean, but far less bulky than he when he left that morning. She had grown accustomed to his battle scars; having always treated them with tender regard when they'd made love. She knew every single one, from the scar on his knee from when he skinned it as a child to those on his chest with their twins directly transposed on his back where Sephiroth had run him through. She even checked for the one where he'd nearly sliced off his finger while trying to help her cook. They were all gone; replaced by new scars she hadn't come to love.

Alarm bells were going off in her heart and mind, warning her, pleading with her. But who was he, if he wasn't Cloud? She finally climbed into bed with him. Even the aura he gave off was unsettling, it wasn't Cloud's vibration; it was something else entirely. When Cloud slept, Tifa found comfort in knowing he was beside her, she knew he loved her and that he would protect her. But that feeling was gone. The sleeping figure beside her might as well have been a mannequin.

* * *

Cloud stirred in the night. His head was buzzing, slightly hung over from the evening before. He'd been out barhopping, looking for new conquests, steering clear of Sephiroth and definitely not wasting his time on Tiffan. The last thing he needed was a clingy boyfriend and a C.O. on the rebound monopolizing his night when he was supposed to be out celebrating.

Sitting up and tossing his legs over the side of the bed, Cloud stretched, yawning loudly. Looking around the bedroom, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he wasn't in his own apartment. He didn't recall having gone home with anyone that night, but he shrugged it off as him being too drunk to remember.

Flipping around, he was eager to see who his latest victim was. Long black hair spread out from under the blanket, offering him a nice appetizer.

 _Oh good, not blonde. I_ hate _blondes!_ He mused, despite the fact that he was one.

Drawing back the comforter, Cloud licked his lips as he traced his eyes down her cute back, clad in a lavender tank top, to her wide hips and her firm ass. Nice! The only thing disappointing him was the fact that she was still wearing her panties. As he considered it, he glanced down to find that he was also wearing pajama pants.

"What the fuck is this?" He hissed under his breath. _I get massively drunk, go home with a bitch and all we do is sleep?!_

Slapping the covers back over her, he jumped off the bed and went to grab his clothes. Where were they? He turned around his circles, but found them nowhere. As he turned around once more, he noticed a framed photograph sitting on the dresser. Ordinarily, he'd have ignored it, but it was blaring and disturbing. Approaching it slowly, snatching it from the dresser, hoping he was just imagining things.

It was a photo of himself surrounded with several people he didn't recognize and one person he did. Tiffan was beside him but there was something off about him. Tiffan was taller than Cloud by four inches and here, he was shorter by four inches. Also with Tiffan being male, he certainly didn't have the fantastic rack the person in this picture did.

"What the fuck…" Cloud dropped the picture, the glass shattering as it struck the floor.

Tifa woke with a start, looking around for the source of the crash. She calmed as she found Cloud at the dresser, but her began to race anew as he turned to look at her. His eyes were dark as he picked up the shattered picture frame.

"Cloud? What 's the matter?" She pretended she wasn't unnerved, "Oh, did you drop the picture? I-it's alright, we can replace the glass lat–"

"What the hell is going on?" He cut her off, baring his teeth.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean _this!_ " He threw the broken frame her, shards of glass spraying across the room.

Tifa tossed her arms to defend herself from getting cut, however still suffering a scratch on her thigh. She expected him to realize she was hurt and apologize, but he only continued to yell.

"Is this some kind of joke or something?"

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she carefully turned over the photo, gazing at the happy moment captured there. It was the last picture Yuffie took of the whole family together, after they defeated Sephiroth the last time. What was he talking about?

"I don't understand. What are you upset about?"

"Cut the shit, Tiffan," Cloud leapt across the bed, tackling her to the floor. "This isn't funny! Where are we and why the fuck are you playing at being a woman?"

"Cloud, please…" Tifa tried to push him off, but he had her in such a way that she couldn't do it gently.

"Talk!"

"Cloud, get off of me, damn it! We're at home! And I'm not _playing_ at anything!" She managed to roll him over, resulting in straddling his hips. With this new position she pinned him down.

Cloud's eyes opened wide at the sight of Tifa's huge breasts hanging over him. They looked real enough, soft and pendulous. Cautiously, he gripped her shoulders, pushing her back just enough to see her fully. Despite her endowments, she was very petite; and despite her strength, she appeared to have next to no developed muscle. She looked woman enough. Slowly, with one hand, he lightly stroked a single finger down the crotch of her panties, earning a soft gasp from her. There was nothing there except the gentle dip expected of female anatomy. Letting his hands drop to his sides, Cloud found himself at a loss.

"Who are you?" He asked calmly.

"Cloud, it's me…Tifa…" Her heart nagged in her chest. "Don't you recognize me?"

" _Tifa_ … _Tiffan_ …Oh, I get it." He smirked, trying to wrap his head around her, "Is this some kind of surprise?" He lightly touched her thigh, tracing the cut she suffered. "You always said you idolized Sephiroth, but I didn't think you'd go this far. Heh…The crazy things that people do…"

Tifa wrinkled her nose and jumped to her feet. "Why in the world would I want to be anything like Sephiroth? How could you say something like that?"

"It's alright; you don't have to be embarrassed. She's beautiful, if you don't mind me saying so. Not to mention graceful, powerful, and intelligent…Just don't go thinking that _you_ can be any of those things."

Tifa, who had turned away to see to her wound suddenly dropped the tube of antiseptic. Clenching her hand into a fist, she slowly turned toward him, "What? What did you say?"

Cloud sat up, a sardonic grin playing across his lips, "I said, that just because you're a woman now, that doesn't mean you have any redeeming qualities. You're still ugly, clumsy, weak, and stupid."

She promptly delivered a roundhouse kick to his head.


	12. Chapter XII: A Cloudy Day

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XII: A Cloudy Day**

" _He said that to you?"_ Barret said over the line.

"Yeah, I can't believe it," Tifa glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "I don't know what to think. It was so weird, the way he acted…H-he didn't even recognize me, or you, or anyone else that was in the picture."

" _That's crazy."_

"Barret…you should've seen his eyes, it's like it wasn't even him…"

" _Ya gonna be okay?"_

"I don't know. I just wish I knew what was wrong with him."

" _Maybe it's just stress. An' then there's the accident you said he had."_

"Yeah…He might've suffered a serious injury to the head. After all, he did have a weird scar on his scalp, but it was healed."

" _What? But…Wait, how is he around the kids?"_

"He hasn't seen them yet."

" _Are ya really gonna be alright? You want me to come stay a while?"_

"No, don't worry. I'm sure it'll be okay."

* * *

Cloud sat up, rubbing his head. Tifa had left him where he fell, feeling that he'd more than earned his punishment. Looking around, he had to remind himself that he wasn't in his own home.

"Oh, right…" He groaned as he found his feet, "…That bitch…where is she?"

She wasn't in the room. Running for the door, he sought escape, regardless of the fact that he was barefoot and clad only in pajama pants. But as he made it to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped cold. Tifa was sitting at the bar, talking on the phone.

He watched her quietly, forgetting that he was trying to escape. As she turned around, he felt something inside of him he never knew before. It was a warm sensation in his heart and stomach, some kind of fluttering like wings. Last night he thought she was ugly, but now as he made contact with her eyes, he realized that, while she was not as gorgeous as Sephiroth, she was still a sight behold.

"Hey, Barret, Cloud's awake. I gotta go. Yeah, I'll talk to you later. Bye." She promptly hung up the phone, tossing it onto the counter and slid around the other side of the bar.

"Hi," Cloud said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hi," Tifa spat, grabbing a wash cloth and a bottle of spray cleaner.

"Look, about last night…" Cloud paused, unsure of how to go on.

"What about it?" She refused to look at him, just wiping down the counter regardless of the fact that it was already clean.

"I just…I mean I…" He shook his head, suddenly looking around, "Where are we? What is this place?"

Tifa froze, keeping her eyes pinned to the cloth in her hands. "Are you serious?"

"Just humor me."

"This is Seventh Heaven, my bar."

"Since when do you own a bar?"

"Since when do you not recognize your friends and family?"

"What friends and family?"

"The ones in this photo you smashed last night." She produced the picture from her pocket, tossing it before him.

"I swear I don't know these people."

Tifa finally faced him, "Who are you?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because you're not Cloud. You have his face, but you're not him. I don't recognize you just like you don't recognize me. So, who are you?"

Narrowing his eyes at her, he decided to humor her in return, "I'm Cloud Strife, Soldier First Class."

She turned toward the bar again, leaning into it slowly. Releasing a deep breath, she murmured, "Of course you are. Please, tell me more."

"Cut it out, Tiffan, let's go home," he came around the bar and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Come on, let's see if they can put you back to normal."

"Why are you calling me 'Tiffan'? And what do you mean by 'normal'?"

Cloud scratched his head, "Come on. You didn't have to become a girl for me."

"I didn't _become_ a girl," She shook him off. "I was born a female. What, are you saying I look like a guy now?"

"No. Actually you've always had girly looks."

Tifa shook her head in frustration, "We're not getting anywhere. I wish I knew what was going on in your head right now. Can you tell me?"

Cloud perched on a barstool, looking around again. "I got no idea what's going on. I was out last night and got wasted and the next thing I knew I was here in bed next to you."

"Wait, you were out getting drunk last night?"

"Yeah."

"You said you were working!"

"Working? Bullshit, I told you I was going to the…Oh… _shit_ …" He faltered at Tifa's deadly glare.

"That explains why you wrecked your bike at least," she gulped, trying to maintain her cool. "Look, Cloud, you didn't have to lie to me. You could've just told me you wanted to visit another bar."

Cloud didn't respond, he just stared at her, watching her anger cool to a pitiful sadness before morphing into concern.

"Last night, you compared me to someone," She forced herself to meet his gaze, "Were you with someone, Cloud? Another woman?"

He gulped heavily before slowly nodding his head, "Yeah." _Actually I was with several women…and men._

Tifa never wanted to ask the next question that entered her mind. She never wanted to entertain the possibility that such a thing might ever come to pass, but she needed to know, "Are you cheating on me?"

Cloud averted his gaze. His silence was more than enough, but it truly stabbed her heart when he muttered, "Yeah."

Her eyes drifted down to the counter, staring at a dent in the surface. She aggravated on it for a bit, straining to remember where it came from all the while feeling her heart sink little by little down into her gut. "How long has this been going on?"

"A while."

"Is it someone I know?"

"Yeah."

Her heart plopped sickeningly in her stomach. Slowly, she inched around the bar and left out the front door. Cloud remained at the bar, staring at the same dent in the surface. His heart was racing, his stomach twisting. He wanted to pursue her, he wanted to persuade her to come back and tell her he wanted her. To tell her he was wrong.

Then his mind suddenly cleared and his nerves settled.

"Why the hell do I feel so damn guilty? It's not like I love her or anything."

Tifa stood in the middle of the street, people shuffling around her, paying her no mind. She looked straight forward, staring into the wall. She couldn't decide if she should stay or go, run or walk, left or right. Her heart was hammering painfully into her back, her head throbbing with each frightful beat.

Something cold struck her shoulder, another icy drop landed in her hair. Dragging her eyes upward, she looked up to the sky. The day proved dark, cool…cloudy. The sky was mocking her. More rain began to fall, each drop in quick succession, disguising the tears of shame that rolled down her cheeks. Sucking in a sickening breath, Tifa swallowed the scream she'd been expecting to release and calmly returned inside.

Cloud wasn't in the bar. Gathering her nerve, she found him in the bedroom, looking through a photo album she kept. Despite the fear and pain she and her friends had endured during their time chasing Sephiroth and fighting Shin-Ra, Tifa always found a moment to snap a photo. She wanted to remember everything and everyone, especially should someone be lost. A few of the only remaining photos of Aerith were in that album, proving that Tifa's idea was intuitive.

"Tifa," Cloud whispered, "How old am I?"

Taken aback by such a strange question, she gulped heavily, "Er…24…"

"And you?"

"23."

"So we're eight years in the future."

"What?" She stepped back, but rocked forward again and joined him on the bed. "What do you mean?"

"I was looking at the dates on these photos. They start three years ago. But the date according that calendar there, is eight years later than it was yesterday."

"You're saying you're from the past?"

"I'm saying I think something weird has happened. What I have no idea. Last I checked, I was 16-years-old and you…my boyfriend, Tiffan, was 15."

"D-did you say boyfriend?" Tifa's back stiffened and her breath quickened.

"Yeah. Where I come from, I live with and date a guy that looks just like you. Hey, can you tell me about this picture? I don't understand what it is." He turned to Tifa's copy of the picture that was taken in Nibelheim. It showed Tifa posing with Zack and – Tifa shivered as she realized he'd pulled the photo from the sleeve, unfolding it to reveal something purposefully hidden – Sephiroth.

"That was taken in Nibelheim when you, Zack, and…Sephiroth came to inspect the mako reactor. It was napped right before I led you up the mountain.

"Why the hell would you be in a photo with that piece of fuck? We hate that guy!"

"Well, th-this was before Sephiroth went crazy."

"Sephiroth? I mean Zack!"

"Zack? But he was your best friend." Tifa searched his face for reason.

"Nobody is that guy's friend. Even the guy that trained him hates his guts. And Sephiroth…I never thought she'd make such a hot guy."

"W-what?!" She jumped from the bed.

"She's the one I've been screwing."

"Sephiroth?"

"Yeah," He smirked as he continued to gaze at the picture, "She's quiet and reserved, but damn is she a freak between the sheets!"

"Oh, stop it!" Tifa, turned away, covering her mouth, biting the skin between her thumb and forefinger. "Look, Cloud, I don't know what happened to you, but there's no need to make up stories. You can tell me who you've really been with, i-it's okay…But please, don't tell me how much more satisfied you are with her. I'm sorry…I'm sorry I can't satisfy you, that I'm not a 'freak'…Sorry that I like to do it with the lights off, that I prefer missionary over other positions, that I don't wear sexy underwear, sorry that I don't like to give oral…I'm sorry that I'm so boring you had to go off and find someone else who will do what I won't!"

She shot up from the bed, pacing around frantically, trying with all her power to keep from bashing his head in again. There was something wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Cloud was not himself, his body was someone else's, his thoughts were backwards and haywire; and to top it all off, he dropped a bomb on her by confessing to cheating.

"Tifa." He said her name slowly, purposefully. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her close to him. "I don't know any more than you do, and do be honest, I'm asking myself why I'm not more freaked out and confused than I am. But somehow, I don't think it's you I'm bored of."

"What?"

"I don't know, but when I looked at you before. I thought you were something I could sink my teeth into." Tangling his fingers into her soaked hair, he yanked her toward him and kissed her with a vicious hunger.


	13. Chapter XIII: She Hits Back

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XIII: She Hits Back**

Tifa stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Cloud was panting heavily beside her, exhausted. She clutched the comforter over her naked body as if afraid he would see what has already been seen. Not daring to look at him, she kept her eyes pinned to the shadows cast by the midday sun.

"That was so damn good…" He rolled over on top of her, grabbing her chin and obliging her to look at him, "…I guess you are different now."

Tifa forced her cheek to him as he tried to kiss her again.

"What's wrong, Baby?" His voice was sickly sweet. She shuddered with repulsion as he dragged his wet tongue across her ear.

"I didn't think it was so good." She breathed, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the bedcovers.

"What didn't you like?"

"Oh, let me see…Everything!" Tifa jabbed her knee into his stomach, forcing him off of her. "Sorry, Cloud, but I don't really care for sloppy wet everything, or slapping, or the feeling of having my nipples damn near bitten off!"

"You never complained before." He rubbed his stomach beneath the covers, trying to conceal the fact that she'd hurt him.

"Before? This is the first time we've done it like that." She sneered, "You must have me confused with your other girlfriend. She must be into that sort of thing."

Dragging the covers off the bed, Tifa hid beneath them as she sought out her clothes. Cloud grabbed the comforter and yanked it off of her, leaving her naked before him. Enjoying the way her hands automatically covered herself, he took in her beauty. While she wasn't nearly as beautiful as Sephiroth, there was something else about her that left a pleasant twist in his stomach.

" _I'm_ into that kind of thing." Cloud clarified, standing. "I've always liked my partners submissive…But you're proving a fun challenge.

"A challenge?"

"You're not afraid to talk back to me or to raise your hand to me."

"Why should I be?" She quickly shrugged on her clothes, though she still felt exposed.

"You always were before. You're always afraid I'm gonna hit you, and you're right to think so."

"Whatever, Cloud. You've never hit me before and you never will; you're not the type to do so."

Before she realized what had happened, Tifa found herself stumbling backward, clutching the side of her jaw. The pain raced up into her head and down her neck into her back. Her brain buzzed and her eyes crossed.

"You really think I won't hit you?" Fury flared up in Cloud's body once more and he punched her again. "I'll fuck you up you little bitch!"

Tifa blocked his strikes the best she could as she struggled for her gloves. Though they were close by on her nightstand, it was a battle just to reach them. Finally sliding one on, she delivered a sharp uppercut to his chin and a jab to his solar plexus.

Cloud reeled back, stunned. She was powerful enough without her gloves to hurt him, but with them, she was ten times stronger than _he_ was. Within seconds, she had flattened him on the floor, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"What the hell did you do?" He squeaked.

"You hit me, I hit back." Tifa snarled as she ran out of the room.

A grin slid across Cloud's bloodied mouth, "Now, _that's_ a woman…"

* * *

Cloud found Tifa downstairs, staring into the mirror behind the bar. He watched her for a moment as strange sensations eddied around inside of him. Anger, disgust, and hatred loomed in his heart, but as did guilt, pain, desire, and something else that he couldn't quite name. Where was it all coming from? Ever since he'd first seen Tifa, it sat there nagging in his gut, that feeling…

Feeling her arms prickle with goosebumps, Tifa spun around.

"What are you doing here?" She breathed, backing up.

"Am I supposed to just stay in that room?" Cloud took a step forward.

"I guess not…" Tifa shook off the eerie sensation rolling up her back and she reached for a frying pan. She could hit him with it…put him out of her misery. After all, she was certain that he was not her Cloud. Wasn't she? She suddenly dropped it on the stove and promptly poured a capful of oil into it.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking dinner. We haven't eaten all day."

Cloud glanced at the clock, "It's only 3 PM."

"The bar opens in three hours; I don't have time to cook in the evenings, you know that."

"Right." Cloud eyed the welt on her jaw and her swollen cheekbone. "Are you really going to let people see you? Looking like that?"

"Well, whose fault is that?"

"Yours."

"Oh, so I punched myself, did I?"

"You tried to act all big. Bowing up to me gets you punished. You want me to do it again?" He balled up his fist.

She raised her hand – still wearing her gloves – like a claw, "Do you want to keep your dick?"

He relaxed, a grin playing at his lips, "Do you realize how sexy you are?"

"I must not be that sexy at all; you said you're cheating on me."

"That was before I realized it myself."

"So what? Now you're gonna say that I'm the only one for you? I kind of thought that after all we'd been through together that you'd have come that decision already." She slammed a pork chop onto the frying pan.

"Yes." He said simply, earning a glare from her. "I should have. I should have appreciated you more."

"Well, it's too late for that." Tifa took in a deep breath and released it heavily from her mouth, "I thought you loved me, Cloud. I thought…maybe one day…we were gonna get married. We've been through things together that other people can't even imagine in their wildest dreams…And for you to go and treat me the way you've treated me today…There's no way I'm going to marry you… _ever_." She finally was able to look him in the eye, "In the morning, you're going to pack up your stuff and you're going to leave."

"Tifa…" He tried to reach for her hand.

"Don't. There's nothing you can say to change it."

"Cloud's leaving?" A soft voice echoed from the doorway.

Tifa' heart sank, "Denzel…"

Cloud turned around, disgust welling in his gut, "Whose the kid?"

"I'm Denzel. Don't you recognize me?" His eyes watered, but he blinked away the urge to cry.

Cloud tossed an irritated glance at Tifa, "You've gotta kid?"

"That's right, _I've_ got a kid. You can forget about taking him with you."

"Good, 'cause I hate kids."

Tifa's blood instantly sizzled in her veins, "Get out! Get out right now! Forget about having any dinner!" She threw the skillet at him, bubbling oil and all.

After Cloud vacated the room, Denzel stared in disbelief at where he had sat, the feeling of rejection settling horribly into his stomach.

"Tifa?"

"Denzel, hand me the phone. I'm ordering dinner."

* * *

Tifa sat quietly before the lonely slice of pizza on her plate. The children both stared at their own plates, not saying anything. The scene from earlier played back behind Denzel's eyes and Marlene had heard the commotion; the tension suffocated them.

"Is Cloud really leaving?" Marlene finally asked, breaking the deafening silence.

"Yes, sweetie. He has to go away." Tifa's stomach quaked.

"Why?"

She shoved her plate away, "It's because Cloud did something very bad to me. He um…" She sought out a delicate way to phrase it, "He has another girlfriend, and…well, he wants to go away."

"That's not all is it? He hit you too." Denzel pointed out the bruises on Tifa's cheek.

"Don't mention this to anyone, especially Barret."

"But, Cloud can't get away with it!"

"Denzel _please!_ Please, honey, it's not for you to worry about. I can handle this myself, just don't say anything."

"Tifa? Why is Cloud suddenly bad?" Marlene said, poking at the cold cheese on her pizza.

"I don't know, but's going to be alright." She sniffed back her tears, not wanting to waste them on someone who didn't deserve them.

* * *

After Tifa closed her bar that night, she paused as she looked around the room. The cleanup had been easy but the service hadn't been. No one was ornery or antagonizing that night, but they silently stared at her swollen face. It seemed like it had gotten worse from when he first struck her. She'd tried to cover the bruises with makeup but that just made it that much more obvious it wasn't an accident.

Heading up to her room, she paused at Cloud's door. A part of her wanted to forget about what happened that day and try to move on, she wanted to forgive him and resist sacrificing all the good times because of one bad day.

But she couldn't let this slide. She had to be strong. She kept reminding herself that he'd confessed to being with another woman for a while now, that he'd lied about where he'd been that night, that he'd abused her – both physically and sexually, and he said he hated children to top it all off.

"I don't know who you are, but you're not my Cloud." She said at the door, halfway hoping that he'd heard it. "I want you gone. I want my Cloud to come back."

* * *

After he was certain she was a sleep, Cloud crept into Tifa's room. He watched her quietly as she slept, careful not wake her. She looked incredible like that; there was something about her face he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"You're so beautiful, Tifa," he whispered breathily, "I don't know why, but the thought of never seeing you again breaks my heart. I've never felt this way before…I don't like being tied down, I don't like not having options. But for some reason, I feel like I really could spend my life with you and never want anyone else."

"Then why did you hurt me?" Tifa murmured. Her suddenly speaking up startled him, he paused a moment before replying. Her breath was heavy and she said nothing more. She was definitely still asleep. Had he somehow affected her dreams?

"I don't know. I just…got so angry."

"Why are you angry? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing. It's not you, it's me. It's this place, it's…I don't know. I don't even know what I'm trying to say. I'm not even sure why I'm trying to apologize. I feel like there are two different souls inside of me, both fighting for control."

"I miss you, Cloud."

"I miss you too, Tiffan."


	14. Chapter XIV: Asking Goes A Long Way

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. This chapter is a little different; it's mostly a conversation between Tifa and Other Cloud.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XIV: Asking Goes A Long Way**

Cloud was gone when Tifa woke up that morning. The house was still; the children hadn't come out of their room and no one tapped on the door in an attempt to enter the bar. Entering Cloud's office, she looked around. Everything was still the same as it was; he hadn't taken anything with him.

Turning her attention to a photo of the two of them, she felt her heart pound into her chest only slip down into her stomach. It was a captured moment of a happy time, they were smiling and he was looking at her like he loved her.

"I can't believe he's really gone." She breathed, "I didn't think he'd actually go."

"Go where?"

Her body tensed and she turned around, finding Cloud standing in the doorway, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Cloud…" She had to keep herself from running to him. The hopeless romantic in her wanted to hug and kiss him and make him swear to never leave, but the rational side of her wanted him to get lost. "I thought I kicked you out."

"Yeah? Well, I what if I don't wanna leave?"

"Too bad, you should." She inched sideways toward the door.

"I'm not going to. In fact, I was thinking about what you said yesterday. And I've got absolutely no idea why I'm saying this, but…Because of all the good times, and the things we've been through, like you mentioned, I think we should give it another go."

"What? You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not." He handed her the bouquet, "I want to be with you, Tifa."

She turned widened eyes down to the flowers in his hand. The roses were made of wood shavings; real flowers being too high a commodity. But they were beautiful just the same, perfumed with oils to smell like the real thing.

"They're beautiful." Tifa murmured, though not accepting them.

"They reminded me of our relationship."

"Cold, hard, and brittle?"

"Everlasting. Wooden flowers can't wilt and die."

"I can't be with you, Cloud. I was wrong to let you near and to let you touch me."

"Why?"

"Because you aren't _my_ Cloud. I don't know who you are, but you're not him. I won't be with you."

"Well, you're not my Tiffan nor are you anything close to Sephiroth, but it looks like we're stuck together." He snarled slamming the flowers to the floor.

"Hey, I kicked you out. You can go off and do whatever or _whoever_ you want."

"I can? You really mean that?" His face darkened.

Tifa's heart jumped up her throat, "S-sure."

"Then I will." He rushed her, tackling her to the floor.

Forcing her panties down, Cloud very nearly had them off before she kicked him in the face.

"Damn it, what the fuck is your problem?" He cried as he checked for a bloody nose.

"Mine? What about yours?" She kicked him again.

"You said I could do whoever I want. And I want you."

"Well have you ever just thought of asking me?"

"Asking?"

"Yeah," She pulled up her panties and scooted away from him. "A simple question can get you far with me. I don't take kindly to being assaulted."

"Bitch, where I come from, I don't ask; I take and I'm given."

"Where you come from, huh? And that's another thing, okay, my name is 'Tifa', not 'Bitch'. You need to clean up your language if you even want to stay here. My kids don't need that kind of bad influence."

"Kids? You've got more than one?"

"Yes, and if you keep your behavior we'll have another one soon enough. And I'm not ready to bring another child into this rotten world."

Cloud nodded, considering her point of view. But the possibility of getting her pregnant didn't deter him from what he wanted. Looking her up and down, he licked his lips, "You said I should ask for what I want."

"Yeah."

"So…can we fuck, I mean screw, I mean..." He shuddered, "Can we make love?"

Tifa wanted to laugh, "Did you just say 'make love'?"

"You said I should clean up my language."

"That's right." She wasn't really sure what to say to his request, though she knew it was coming. "Listen, Cloud, I appreciate the effort, but…I don't think so. Like I said, you're not my Cloud. And I won't be with another man besides him."

"How do you know I'm not him?"

"Because your personality is exactly opposite from his, for one thing. Also, your body is not the same as his, and because you told me."

"I suppose you have a point." He stood, dusting himself off. "For the record, I'm not your Cloud."

"Who are you then?"

"My name is Cloud Strife, Soldier First Class. I'm from a small village called Nibelheim. I joined SOLDIER at age 14 with my boyfriend, Tiffan Lockheart. Within two years, not only did we become Firsts but we are also both ranking officers."

Tifa stared at him in disbelief. She stumbled onto the office chair, nearly falling back to the floor when it almost rolled out from under her. "My name is Tifa Lockheart. What are Tiffan's parent's names?"

"Marius and Brianna."

"Mine were Brian and Marie." Her arms prickled, "My mother died when I was little and my father was murdered when I was fifteen."

"Tiffan's father passed a few years ago. As of right now his mother is alive and well."

"What about you? Your parents?"

"My mother abandoned me when I was only a few weeks old. My dad says she left because I impeded on the lifestyle she wanted to live." His stomach knotted as he clenched his jaw, "I've always wanted to punish my mother for leaving and my father for letting her. I hate them both. I wish they were dead!"

"You shouldn't say things like that! You're father only wants what's best for you! You're mother needed to leave, if she didn't want you; there's no telling what she might have done to you if she'd stayed." Tifa put an end to the terrible direction this conversation had gone. Steering it back on course, she said, "So what does this all mean?"

Cloud looked away from her, irritated that she chastised him, but also equally as confused. He'd been so excited about his new conquest that he failed to truly attempt to grasp what was going on.

"Well, it could be…N-no, that's too good."

"What?"

"What do you think of alternate universes?"

"Alternate universes?"

"Just think, I was out partying and suddenly I wake up and I'm here. I could've walked through a wormhole or something."

"I suppose, but what about my Cloud?"

"We swapped places, it's the only explanation."

Tifa clapped her hands together, holding them thus as if she was praying. She lifted them to her forehead, trying to get handle such an outlandish thought. Despite how bizarre it was, it was all either of them had to go on.

"Okay." She said, "Okay, you can stay until we get this straight. But we need to lay down some rules."

"What then?"

"You sleep in here, there's a fold out cot in the corner there. Don't swear in front of the kids. Please pretend to like them, play with them, make small talk – make them think you're our Cloud; I'll school you on who everyone is later. And last but certainly not least….I will _not_ have sex with you….ever!"

Tossing back his head and hissing at the ceiling, Cloud turned toward her, thrusting out his hand with contempt, "Deal."


	15. Chapter XV: Difficult News

**I do now own Fin** **al Fantasy VII. Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been on in a while, I've been working on my novel, Tokyo in Captivity. As of right now, the first 7 chapters are ready to read on Wattpad!** **Please check it out and tell me what you think!**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XV: Difficult News**

"So about that materia. The one you used to get here. Where did you get it from?"

"I found it in with a bunch that a friend of mine collected. She has a bit of an obsession with materia. But I don't know how she came across it; she's known to steal."

"How did you even know what it was for?"

"Her dad told me, how he knew I have no idea." Cloud tapped his glass before taking a sip, "He said that it can only be used once, using it more than that can… _'rip the fabric of space and time'_."

"But, if you're the first to use it, then you should have gone to the past in your own timeline. Being here must mean that someone else has already used it."

"That's very possible. I guess I was just hoping for a miracle."

Tiffan's phone began to ring. His body tensed as he looked over at the flashing light. He knew it was the Director; the only other person that had his number was Cloud. Letting it ring for several seconds, Tiffan was very close to letting it just roll over to voice mail.

"You should get that." Cloud urged, grabbing the phone and putting it in his hand.

Drawing in a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Tiffan answered.

"H-hello?" He struggled to keep his voice low and steady, "Yes?...I see….To Wutai? For how long?...Yeah…Director, is it possible for Lieutenant Strife to come with me?" Tiffan fell silent, Cloud could hear the Director through the phone, but couldn't make out what he was saying, "…Well, he doesn't have to work, he can just – " Tiffan's lip trembled like he was about to cry, "…I understand, Sir. I'll be there first thing in the morning."

"What's going on?" Cloud's heart picked up pace as he watched Tiffan slowly shut the phone and sink down further into his chair.

"I have to report for duty in the morning. Looks like our little vacation is over. They're sending me to Wutai for six months."

"Six months! What for?"

"ShinRa is building a new Mako reactor there. I'm to lead a small troop to guard the facility while it's being built. You know, in case of hostilities."

"What did he say about me?" Cloud's chest nagged at him.

"He said you can't go with me because you're still on medical leave. You won't be cleared for active duty for a while."

"Okay…" Cloud nodded with a smile, "…So what if I decide to go on vacation to Wutai?"

"They won't allow that. While on medical leave they won't allow you to leave the city unless accompanied by Senior Rank. Which means you'd have to bring Angeal, Genesis, or…Sephiroth. And, to do that, they have to get special advance approval from the Director of Soldier and the Medical Director."

"For real?" Cloud dropped his head into his hand.

"Yes! I can't believe you didn't get into any trouble before. They know that on the night of the award ceremony that you were outside the city. You've luck to thank for that one."

"I had no idea."

"If no one's confronted you about that by now then there's no worry. But please be careful?"

"I will. I promise. Come on, I'll help you get packed, you need to get to bed."

* * *

Tiffan was gone before Cloud woke up the following morning. He felt somewhat put out by not getting to say goodbye, but perhaps it would've made it harder for Tiffan to leave.

As Cloud opened the fridge, he stared at the contents, contemplating if he wanted to try cooking or not. His culinary skills were less than desirable, leaving him to wonder if he was going to survive the next six months. Suddenly deciding that it was too much work to even attempt a scrambled egg, he closed the door and returned to the living room.

Glancing around, he considered going out for breakfast. That idea wasn't good either, while he had plenty of money – thanks to his counterpart's salary – he didn't like dining on his own that much. However, thanks to this backwards world, he had no friends aside from Tiffan.

There was also Sephiroth. She would probably go out with him, but it would be awkward and she might think it was a date or something. Although…she was a fantastic cook…Cloud shook his head. No, he had to steer clear of her for at least a little while.

The days flowed by, passing slowly, molding into each other until Cloud could no longer tell where one ended and the other began. Tiffan had told him the night before that he would call Cloud when he got to Wutai. But he hadn't heard from him. It took three days by boat to get there, six hours by plane or helicopter. That much time had passed long ago.

Cloud spent the entirety of the time worrying, he'd dialed his phone many times but each time it rang until it went to voicemail. He should have been researching the materia, trying to find a way to get back home, but his unwavering love for Tifa – and equally, Tiffan – caused him to back down.

He paced back and forth, unable to eat, unable to sleep. Something was wrong, very wrong; he could feel it in his gut. His heart throbbed painfully, his stomach retorted and all he could do was think of all the possibilities.

Grabbing his phone, Cloud was about to try calling him again when there was a knock at the door. His heart skipped a beat and he rushed for the door, somehow hoping to see Tiffan's beautiful smile. But what he was with was Sephiroth's sorrowful frown.

"Cloud…" She breathed softly, "Can I come in?"

Cloud swallowed hard, trying to mask his disappointment. It had not been anywhere close to six months, two weeks at best, but he hoped, he prayed that it was Tiffan at the door. Breathing in a deep sigh, Cloud stepped aside and allowed her to enter.

"What's wrong?"

"You should probably sit down," She advised as she took a seat on the couch, but Cloud remained standing.

"What is it?" Cloud's stomach tightened.

"It's Tiffan."

His stomach knotted all the more. "Just tell me."

"There was an attack on his unit. Wutai resistance, we believe. We all agreed it would be best for me to tell you."

"Tell me what!" The more she beat around the bush, the more the anger flared inside of him.

"Tiffan is dead."

Cloud stumbled backward, collapsing into the nearest chair. He suddenly felt numb. There was nothing inside, just a dark, black hole. As he stared at Sephiroth, her words echoed through his mind over and over again. _Tiffan is dead…Tiffan is dead…_ Tifa _is dead._

His skin prickled with goose bumps as each hair stood on end and suddenly the anger reignited and he lunged out of the chair toward Sephiroth, tackling her to the floor. She knew he would be in pain, so she let him do what he wanted; a part of her enjoyed seeing it.

Cloud allowed the savage alien feeling over take him as he slapped Sephiroth repeatedly. She should have been screaming and trying to get him off of her, but she remained silent and still, waiting for him to finish. Instead he was the one screaming. Tears flooded his eyes, cascading down his cheeks in a flood of anger, hatred, and sorrow.

Finally, a part of the real Cloud returned and he realized what he was doing. Rolling off of her, he scooted away, looking at his hand through his wet eyes, unable to believe what he'd just done.

"Sephiroth…" He breathed, staring at the woman before him.

"Cloud…" She managed a smile behind her bloody lips, "…I wasn't expecting that. But I'm glad you did it."

"What?"

"I've been waiting to see that kind of passion in you again." She sat up, wiping her mouth nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry, Sephiroth."

"Why? I loved it." She hopped to her feet, extending her hand to him.

Cloud accepted her help, though felt wobbly as he stood.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Cloud. I know you loved him." Her sentiment seemed almost forced, but Cloud ignored it.

"He was my best friend in this world. I love him very much." Cloud's heart continued to squeeze and the numb feeling returned. "He asked me to marry him…and I said I would."

"Do you think you'd want to be with someone else?"

"Why would you asking me something like that right now?"

"Because I know what it's like to lose someone I love."

"Then you should also know how hard it is to just move on."


	16. Chapter XVI: Sephiroth's Heart

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XVI: Sephiroth's Heart**

Cloud stared at the ceiling. He'd been in bed for days; he knew he needed to get up but he didn't want to. The pain of losing his only friend was too much. His skin was cold and his breath was shallow, perhaps he was going to die too.

Looking at the empty space beside him, he ran his hand over the cool sheets. A warm body had always been beside him, in his world and this one, but now there was no one. No soft hands to soothe his aching muscles, no lips to caress his scars, no hair to breathe in.

Nothing.

"There could be someone there if you like." Sephiroth's voice attacked his senses, causing him to gnash his teeth together.

"What are you doing here?" He snarled, snatching back his hand when she tried to touch it.

"I just wanted to check on you. You've been avoiding me."

"I've been avoiding everyone."

"Come on, Cloud. You should come have lunch with me."

"Why? So you could pretend it's a date or something?"

"So you could get some fresh air and descent food." She sat down on the side of the bed, her fingers found a place in his hair and she stroked it tenderly.

Cloud wanted to swat her away, but he didn't have the strength.

"Don't you understand? Don't you get it?" He leaned into her touch, wanting it so badly to be Tifa.

"Understand what?"

"I love her…him…her…I don't care about anatomy…I just want Tifa back. Tifa is all I want, all I need. We were gonna get married and have a family…" He clenched his lips together to keep from sobbing.

"I could give you those things." She whispered, "I love you, Cloud."

"No, no you don't." He found the strength to sit up. "You are still healing from a broken heart. You just want someone to replace your husband. And you jumped on the first guy that gave you attention. You don't love me, Sephiroth, you love the idea of having someone."

"No one has made me feel the way you did."

"Yeah, through sex and only sex. That's not love, that's lust."

"It's good enough for me."

"It's not for me." He looked into her draconian eyes. Once those eyes were the image in his nightmares, but now he couldn't deny how beautiful they were. "I want you, Sephiroth. There's so much I want to do to you." He glanced up and down her body; she was wearing her armor, as the Sephiroth in his world often did. But it was different on her; she looked more like a dominatrix than a warrior. "But sex without love is as empty as love without sex."

"So we have mutual lust but not mutual love?"

"Yeah, and unless by some miracle I fall for you, I'm not doing anything else with you."

"Not even lunch?"

"Not even lunch. I don't want to run the risk of falling for you." With gentle purposeful hands, he eased her off the bed. "Now please leave me alone."

Sephiroth left the room, her heart aching. Making it to the hall outside Cloud's apartment, she sank to the floor, her back against the door. If what he said was true, then why did his rejection hurt so much?

It reminded her of _that_ day.

* * *

-One Week Prior to the Battle of Fort Tamblin -

Sephiroth walked in, placing her keycard on the table beside the photo of her and Aeron. She smiled at the memory of their wedding day as she turned around, finding a bouquet of roses in a vase on the table. Aeron was sitting on the couch.

"Oh, those are beautiful!" She knelt beside the table and smelled the flowers, taking in their clean, crisp scent. They were most perfect blooms she'd ever seen, after all her husband was in the business of flowers and he always brought her the best. "What's the occasion? Our anniversary isn't for another two weeks…"

"Sephiroth, we need to talk." Aeron murmured. His face held a grey expression and his chest was heaving with each breath.

"What about?" She sat beside him, but he didn't say anything, "Aeron, what is it? What happened."

"Nothing's happened…yet…" He clenched his fists suddenly then relaxed his hands as he exhaled sharply. "Sephiroth, I want a divorce."

She'd rather have been punched in the gut. "What?" I leaned in, hoping she'd heard him wrong.

"I want a divorce."

"Don't play games." She breathed, but lost her breath when she saw the determination in his eyes as well as the packed suitcases on the other side of the couch. "Please no…"

"I'm leaving."

"You aren't going anywhere…"

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be." He stood, his hand over his mouth as he paced toward the window.

"Please, just think about what you're doing."

"I have thought about it. For _six months_ I've thought of reasons to stay and I have absolutely none."

"I'm not a reason?"

"You are the reason I want to leave."

"But why? What did I do wrong?" She shot up from the couch. "Tell me and I'll fix it."

"Fix it? You can't _fix_ what's wrong with you." He stepped back from her as she tried to reach for him.

"What is it?" She demanded, wracking her mind of the possibilities.

"You're a science experiment; you weren't born, you are a freak created in a lab!"

"Stop! You know nothing!"

"I know everything! Your real mother is an alien!"

"What difference does that make? I'm still the same person, I'm still a human being!"

"Human? Nothing about you is human! You are a monster!"

"How dare you? I am a SOLDIER! I am a hero!"

"And that's another thing, are you sure that I'm who you wanted?"

"What are you talking about, I love you!"

"Is that why you leave first thing every morning, you don't even stay for breakfast. Then you miss dinner and don't come home until well after your shift is over. And when we talk you never tell me about your day, you never even talk about work…But you tell Genesis."

"What exactly are you accusing me of?"

"I'm not an idiot. I've seen the way he looks at you. You tell him everything; you spend all your extra time with him."

Sephiroth wanted to laugh and she wanted to scream. Her heart was being ripped apart. He called her a freak, then a monster, and now was accusing her adultery.

"He's just my friend…" She gasped, trying to keep the tears away, "I can tell him about things because he's got the proper clearance, that's all…You don't understand the lengths I went through to make them allow us to get married…Not telling you certain things is one of the conditions for allowing you to stay here..." Sephiroth's stomach clenched and she began to feel ill.

"It's not just the job…You talk to him about what keeps you up at night."

"Stop it!"

"You tell him what you fear and what you dream of…"

" _Stop it!_ "

"You never share any of your feelings with me! Maybe you haven't been with him but emotional cheating is still cheating!"

"Stop it! I'll tear you apart!"

"I know you will."

Sephiroth, swallowed back the lump in her throat, "Aeron…please…"

"I'm leaving now before this gets worse." He grabbed his suitcases, "The last thing I need is a defective wife."

"What do you expect, for me to be stepford or something?"

Aeron paused at the door, "Yeah, I do."

"I can't just quit SOLDIER just because you want me to be a housewife. And if I did, I'd go mad! I'd kill you! I should kill you now!"

"Goodbye, Sephiroth." He slammed the door.

Sephiroth fell to her knees, clutching her spasming stomach.

When she found the strength to stand again, she wandered into the hall. Looking from side to side, there was no sign of life. Aeron was long gone. Without coherent thought, she began to walk aimlessly down the halls, riding the elevators from floor to floor, running up and down staircases, trying to work out the tension from her body.

Eventually, she ended up on the balcony. Making it to the railing, she looked over the glittering city and marveled at how the lights seemed to blend into the starry sky. Stepping up and balancing on the edge of the wall just below the top rung of the rail, she considered leaping off. The thought was fleeting, but it was very real.

After staring at the people milling along the streets, she reconsidered spoiling their evening. Jumping back down, she leaned onto the rail and opted to cry instead. It was the first time since her childhood that she'd cried and with the terrible pain in her chest, she was certain that it wasn't the last time she would appear so weak.

As the tears coated her face and neck, she heard footsteps approaching…

* * *

"And then you appeared, Cloud…You came and made me feel wanted again." Sephiroth glanced down the hall, seeing her door in sight. Slowly, she crawled to her apartment, not having the strength to stand. If she stood, she feared she'd fall, so she stayed low, crawling all the way to her bed.

She hated what she felt, she hated that she thought she needed a man in her life. It wasn't a need, it was a want, she wanted the feeling of being loved, of being desired, of being needed; and to having someone to love, desire, and need completed her. Growing up, she was told repeatedly that no one would ever love her; that she was bred to kill and no one wants a killer.

When she met Aeron, she thought it everything her mother told her was a lie. He was so kind to her and seemed to truly love her, but she didn't know how return his love. She felt the emotion, the way her heart thundered and her stomach cramped, the way her blood rushed through her body…She knew she was in love. But her mother destroyed the romance of it, telling her that love was nothing more than a series of chemical reactions through the synapses in her brain and that their sexual attraction was nothing more than hormones. This explanation made her feel cold and turned her against her own emotions, leading her to wonder if she really felt them at all. This in turn distanced her from Aeron and she was unsure of how to respond when he made advances toward her. Instead of giving into what she felt, she let it become analytical in her mind and thought of the scientific view of love her mother had poisoned her with.

"I truly and desperately hate my mother…She never wanted me to get married in the first –" Sephiroth found the will to sit upright. "She's the one who told Aeron. She turned him against me. And she's told Cloud too…"

With a newfound fire inside of her, Sephiroth stormed down to the laboratory. She busted through without knocking, without announcing herself. She found her mother, Dr. Lucretia Crescent, examining a corpse, surrounded by her lackeys.

"Everyone out, I need to talk to Dr. Crescent." Sephiroth breathed heatedly. When no one obeyed, she screamed the order again, "Out! Get out!"

The team looked to Lucretia, who breathed a dramatic sigh and nodded, cuing them to leave. Once the last one was gone, Sephiroth advanced on her mother, grabbing her collar and slamming her against the exam table.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Excuse me?" Lucretia smirked.

"You've ruined my life. You knew I loved him and still you got between us. You never wanted me to be happy; all you ever wanted was to torture me!"

"Where did this come from?" Lucretia reached out, stroking Sephiroth's hair like she actually cared about her.

"It comes from my damaged heart! I am destroyed. My whole life is worth nothing…You told him, knowing that he would leave me."

"I told him because he deserved to know the truth."

"You're a damn liar."

"He wanted to have a family with you, but I had to stop him. If any other Soldier reproduces, I wouldn't care. But you…my daughter…You are special. I couldn't have you bearing the offspring of just anyone."

"What?" Sephiroth released her, stepping back in disgust.

"When you reproduce, it is to be with either Genesis or Angeal."

"What do you mean?"

"That's the reason I made them for you. They are engineered for it. My intent was for you pick the one that appeals to you most and let you repopulate Jenova's species. Until the day comes that you copulate with one or both of them, I will terminate every pregnancy that you might have."

Sephiroth's hand found the tender spot beneath her navel, "It was you…You made them take my child from me."

"I did what I had to do to preserve your species."

"Fuck my species! You took my family from me! First my husband, then my child! And for the record, the child wasn't Aeron's; it was Cloud Strife's. A Soldier, just like me."

"No, not just like you. You are something far better."

"I'm a person, that's all that matters. I'm a person with feelings, dreams, and aspirations. I hate being a Soldier! When I was a little girl, there were only two things that I wanted."

"And what was that?"

"What do you think? To have a family…and to have my mother. I needed you to be my mom, but you treated me like a specimen. You told me no one would ever love me for who I am because of what I am…And you were included in that."

The rage that Sephiroth felt cooled into nothing but grief and sorrow. She held her breath to hold back another barrage of tears. If she had to hide them from anyone, it was Lucretia.

"Oh, my poor little girl. I proved that by telling Aeron what you are and he went packing. Why do you hold on such childish nonsense?"

"Because I believe it's real, even if you don't."

Lucretia shook her head in disappointment, "I thought you'd have learned by now."

"I guess I'm not as brilliant as I was _engineered_ to be."

"Oh for science-sake, why did you have to be a girl? I should have just made you into a boy."

"I would still be the same on the inside."


	17. Chapter XVII: Walking in the Cold

**I do now own Final Fantasy VII. Yeah, this whole chapter is pretty much just a conversation between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sorry about that.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XVII: Walking in the Cold**

Without thinking about what she was doing, Sephiroth ran back to Cloud's apartment. She needed something, someone, her mind was racing, and her heart was devastated.

Cloud leapt up when he felt something fall beside him. He was about to yell at her to leave when he realized she was crying. At least she was shaking like she was crying. Grabbing her shoulder, he rolled her onto her back. Her glistening eyes looked up at him behind her tears, her cheeks were ruddy and her nose was dripping.

"What happened?" Cloud stroked her hair out of her face and let her hug him while she cried into his chest.

"M-my mother…" She whimpered, "She's the one…She's the one who told Aeron my secret."

"Surely you're not crying just because of that." Cloud sensed something deeper, something much worse.

Sephiroth grew silent, not wanted to say it, but Cloud's gentle urging drew it from her lips, "Our child…She's the one who aborted our child."

Cloud's heart twisted in his chest. So she wasn't lying. He thought she'd made it up to get closer to him, but as he held her and felt her tears on his skin, he felt her grief seeping into his pores.

"Our child…" He repeated, his hands tugged at her hair and he kissed her head. This woman was going to be the mother his child…No…not his, that other Cloud's. He couldn't let this sway him, he wasn't the one.

"For a brief moment, I thought I traded in a spouse for a child…But I was wrong. I have nothing now."

"How could she do that? Your own mother?"

"She's a vile person. She told me that if I slept with Angeal or Genesis that I could have kept it. But because someone as lowly as you was the father, it needed to die."

"What about your father?"

"My father?" She sat up and wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath. "He's dead. My mother killed him."

"Why?"

"He tried to take me away, someplace my mother couldn't harm me."

"So she killed him to stop him."

"Yes. A bullet right between the eyes. Dr. Gast said he was holding me when mother shot him."

"Dr. Gast?"

"An associate of my parents. She's Aeron's step-mother. That's how he and I met."

"Was your father Professor Hojo, by any chance?"

"Yes…How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

She sighed heavily, her body beginning to ache. Cloud tugged her back down to lie against the pillows.

"He was the only person in this world to truly care about me."

"That's not true at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Genesis cares about you, Tiffan liked you, and I care too."

"You do? But you said –"

"I said I do not love you, but I do care about you. I like you, Sephiroth, very much." Taking pity on her, he got up and started to get dressed.

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to dinner. Anything you want, my treat."

* * *

Sephiroth tugged her coat around her tighter. It was heavy leather, but it wasn't very warm. When the wind blew it was like it went right through her.

"Here," Cloud offered her his jacket, which layered well beneath her coat.

"Thank you," she was ten times warmer, and the simple gesture meant the world to her in that moment.

"So where do you want to eat?"

"Something portable, I want to walk around while we eat if we can."

"Not an issue, I'm sure there's a vendor on Loveless Avenue, what with all the shops and theatres."

"Loveless…" Sephiroth sighed, "That's fitting."

"Don't think about that. Let's just have a good time."

"Look, there's a burger stand," she pointed up the street, "I haven't had one in a long time, can we?"

"Of course, if that's what you want."

"It is."

Sephiroth tugged Cloud across the street, eager for her first double cheese burger in months. Fresh made and dripping with grease, it did well to warm and comfort her as they walked through the cold city streets.

"It's a nice night, even if it is a bit chilly."

"I'm sorry Cloud,"

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I just feel guilty. You lost your boyfriend and you're comforting _me_."

"You've got nothing to feel guilty about. It's nothing I've haven't been through before."

"You lost someone else?"

"Yeah, my mom, a few friends…One of them was a girl that I liked. Had she lived I might have been with her instead of Tifa."

"How did she die?"

Cloud swallowed hard. He didn't want to stay it but he forced it out, "She was murdered."

Sephiroth's breath hitched and she bit her lip, "I'm sorry."

"It's in the past." Cloud forced a smile to hide his pain, "In many ways, I'm glad I ended up with Tifa though…She's perfect for me. She keeps my head level and my spirits high."

"You keep saying 'she'."

"Because she's a girl. Tifa not Tiffan."

Sephiroth paused, looking down at the pavement. "She must really be something."

"She's my everything. I can't wait to get back home to her."

"Is she pretty?"

"Beautiful." He approached Sephiroth, lifting her chin. "But only half as beautiful as you."

Sephiroth really was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. Her face was symmetrical, she was neither too tall nor too short, and her body was a perfect hourglass.

Cloud looked into her eyes again, his heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to kiss her. But he couldn't fathom exactly why. Was it just her looks, or was he starting to have feelings for her? No. It had to be purely physical; he couldn't let himself get any further than that.

"How can you say that if she's the one you love?"

"I do love her, but I can't deny what's in front of me." Cloud dropped his hand from her face, "There's another reason why I can't fall for you, Sephiroth."

"What?"

"Someone else already has, and he's known you longer so I'm afraid he's got dibs."

"Who?" She managed a grin.

"Genesis."

Sephiroth stepped back, "Genesis?"

"Come on, no guy cleans a woman's apartment just because he feels like it."

"He's just my friend."

"And Tifa was also just my friend." Cloud pointed out, "You want a family. You want a husband and children. And you said it yourself, if you had a child with Genesis, you'd be allowed to keep it."

"That is true. But you can't be sure he loves me just because he cleaned my apartment."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm a guy, trust me. Alright then, what else has he done for you? Think about it."

"Like what?"

"Like, does he cook for you, does he wait on you, does he give you gifts?"

Sephiroth took a step back, nearly dropping her burger. "Yeah…he gives me manicures and pedicures, he brushes my hair, he even does my laundry. He calls me every day even if we've already seen each other that day, he calls just to see if I'm okay. And yeah…he um…he gave a gift alright…"

Cloud smiled, "Can I ask what it was?"

"Uhh…" Sephiroth actually blushed, "…It's personal…"

"I see." Cloud offered her his arm, "This _personal_ gift, I bet it was expensive."

"I think it was, yes."

"You know, the two of you look great together."

"You think so?"

"Yeah…"

"But, if Genesis wanted me, wouldn't he have said something by now?"

"Sometimes, guys have a hard time saying what they mean. Genesis seems like that type; he prefers to show rather than say."

"And he prefers to watch rather than do." Sephiroth frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He's a voyeur. He keeps saying he wants to watch me with other men or alone with my personal gift. He wouldn't touch me."

"Is he a virgin?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, maybe he's afraid to make the first move. If he's never been with anyone before, he might not know how to ask for sex."

"Oh…"

"Now the most crucial question is, how do you feel about him? Can you see yourself with him?"

Sephiroth swerved toward a trashcan and tossed her sandwich wrapper. "I don't know. I never considered it."

"Well maybe you should start. Because I know that he does love you, even if he's never said the words."

"Actions speak louder."

"Exactly."

"It's funny that you bring up Genesis." She took Cloud's arm again and they continued down the sidewalk.

"Why?"

"Aeron accused me of cheating on him with Genesis. While I never slept with Genesis, I suppose I did cheat."

"Emotional cheating?"

"Yes. I feel comfortable with Genesis; I can tell him things that I can't tell anyone else. Except maybe you. I feel like the two of you are the only ones in the world that won't judge me. You know my secret and you didn't run away."

Cloud steered her toward a bench and sat down. Looking up at the lamppost, he watched the moths dance around the light. "You're a far cry from the Sephiroth I knew before. Where I come from, Sephiroth never would have shared his true feelings with someone like me. Actually, I doubt he shared his feelings with anyone, Genesis least of all."

Sephiroth frowned, watching a taxicab roll by. She shivered, despite the layers she was wearing, and took a deep breath. "You really believe you're from another world."

"I am. If I was the other Cloud, we'd be fucking right now. I don't think I'd be caring too much about what you have to say, but rather what you have to give me."

"Will you leave?"

"Eventually yes. When I find a way. I need someone who knows about materia."

"Dr. Gast knows about materia, and so does my mother, Dr. Crescent."

"Really?"

"Yes. But I don't want you to go. I need you."

"You've lived your whole life without me; you can live the rest of it without me too."

"But it won't be the same if I still remember you."

"You can move on, I learned to do that. Remember the girl that was murdered?"

"Yes."

"In the moment, I really thought I loved her. I thought she was it, she was the one. But after she was gone, I realized what I had sitting right in front me the entire time."

"Tifa."

"Yeah. Now I couldn't imagine leaving her for the world. I still remember that girl, and every once in a while, I wish she would come back. But then Tifa walks in and she lights up my world and that feeling vanishes."

"Just like how I feel about you and Aeron. I keep finding myself wishing he'd just show up and we can pick up where we left off. But then I see you and…"

Cloud stood, "Come on, let's head back."

Without much else said between them, they walked back to ShinRa Tower arm-in-arm.


	18. Chapter XVIII: A Beautiful Woman

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Here it goes...omg...**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XVIII: A Beautiful Woman**

Sephiroth didn't want to let Cloud go. He was warm and she felt protected beneath his arms. His heart beat in her ear as she pressed her head into his chest.

Cloud smelled her peppermint scented hair. For a moment, he had almost forgotten his original intent was to kill Sephiroth. Now he held her in his arms, an embrace that was supposed to be a quick goodnight hug, but had become something else as neither one of them wanted to let go.

 _Is this cheating?_ Cloud thought as he stroked her shimmering locks. This was why he hadn't wanted to go out with her; he knew this would happen.

"Do you want to come in for a drink?" Sephiroth offered, finally letting go of him.

 _No, I should go to bed_ ….Was what he should have said. He should have turned around and gone back to his apartment.

"Sure."

Was this a mistake?

"What do you like? Beer, rum, chardonnay?" She said as she tossed her coat and his jacket over the back of a chair.

"Whiskey if you've got it." He glanced up, only to see the perfect outline of her ass through her leather pants as she sauntered into the kitchen.

"I don't normally keep it, but lucky for you, Genesis put a bottle in the freezer. He likes it cold."

"He won't mind will he?"

"It'll be alright." She poured him a couple of ounces. "Here."

Cloud shouldn't have taken it. He shouldn't have put it to his lips. He shouldn't have drank. But he did. And when he was done, he drank some more. And when he finished that one, he had another. It didn't help that the cold weather and the greasy burger had made him thirsty and the stark taste of the scotch urged him for more to drink. He should have cut it with water or drank water alongside it. But he didn't. He drank it straight, he drank it fast.

Was he doing it to ease his nerves, or was he doing it to flush out any guilt he might be feeling?

Sephiroth on the other hand sipped carefully on a single glass of chardonnay, not even realizing that Cloud was not pacing himself. Blindly, she poured him glass after glass.

"How does a 16-year-old hold his liquor so well?"

"I'm not 16, I'm 24."

"Oh yeah, that's right." She rolled her eyes, still not wanting to believe that he was from another world.

"You and I are about the same age, I think."

"Yes, about." Sephiroth tapped the side of her glass. "Cloud, do you really love Tifa?"

"Yeah."

"How did you meet her?"

"She's my childhood friend. The first girl I ever liked."

"But not the only girl…That other girl made you feel something."

"Yeah…"

"How did she make you stray?" Sephiroth refilled his glass, waking up to the fact that he was buzzed.

"She…was beautiful." Cloud looked into his glass, leaning back from it as if it was poisoned.

Sephiroth narrowed her eyes. "That's it? You left Tifa for her because of her looks?"

"Initially. But, she dragged me out on a date one night at the Gold Saucer and…I don't know, I just realized how special she was. She was so joyful and outgoing, she was also braver than anyone I know. And when she entered a room, she just lit it up."

"And Tifa?" She sipped her drink, frowning.

"When Aerith was killed…I realized how much I hurt Tifa. A part of my going back to her was guilt." Cloud took another sip of his drink, feeling like he'd just uncovered a dark truth about himself. "I mean, we weren't officially together at the time I met Aerith…But we wanted to be, neither one of us really knew how to get to the next level."

"Obviously she wanted more than you." Sephiroth felt her own heart clench, as if she was in Tifa's shoes.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So guilt is what brought you back to Tifa."

"It's what brought me back, but it's not why I stay. I told you why I love her."

"Still it feels shallow to me." She drew her knees up to her chest and lowered her head.

"Maybe I am shallow, but at least I'm honest about it." Cloud refilled his glass and downed half of it. "I genuinely loved both of them though."

"I suppose I understand. Because I feel the same way about you and Aeron. And I feel guilty too, because you made me realize something about Genesis I didn't know before." She sat up gain, dropping her legs back to the floor.

Cloud stared at her through the haze his head was in. She was so beautiful. She was kind of like Tifa in that she was somewhat introverted and quiet, but every once in a while, the same kind of fire that he loved about Aerith would ignite in her. So different from what he'd expected her to be. As he watched her gingerly sipping her glass, his felt his heart begin to pound, hammering inside of him like he'd just run a marathon.

"Why do I want you so much?" He blurted, not even realizing he'd said it out loud until she turned widened eyes up at him.

"Cloud…"

"Sephiroth, why? I can sit and talk about Tifa all night long and the more I do, the more I want you." Cloud took her face in his hands.

"Maybe it's because you don't love her as much as you think you do."

"Maybe I don't."

"After all, you said it yourself…it was guilt…"

"But I don't love you…" He leaned into her.

"You do love me…albeit in your own special way."

Cloud couldn't deny it anymore. He didn't know the truth; whether it was alcohol, loneliness, or just as she said, he could no longer deny what he felt for her. She was not the Sephiroth he remembered, she was something else entirely.

Leaning in, he caught her lips with his own and pushed her down into the couch. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him down closer. She ran her hands under his shirt to feel his muscles ripple beneath her finger tips.

He rubbed himself against her, the hardened ridge of his cock eliciting the softest of gasps from her. Cloud smirked as she arched her body. Like this, he was able to tug her SOLDIER issued turtleneck from her belt off over her head. Just as he'd suspected, she wasn't wearing a bra, so her flawless breasts were free to his view. His hands drifted over them lightly, just enough to feel how soft they were. Slowly, he slid down her body to her belts were he slowly unbuckled them one by one. He did the same with her boots, marveling at her adorable little toes as he drew them off. Cloud paused at the waist band of her pants; if she wasn't wearing a bra, was she even wearing panties? Licking his lips, he unzipped them and slowly pulled them down, confirming his suspicion without disappointment.

 _Oh god yes!_

She was everything he hoped for. Perfection. He stared at her like he was staring at a priceless painting. If the scientists that made her were artists, she'd be their masterpiece. Standing, Cloud lifted her into his arms, carrying her to her room as one might carry his bride to their marriage bed.

Placing her on the soft sheets, he quickly did away with his clothes before sliding into the bed with her. They cuddled up to each other, hugging and kissing like what they were doing was right. And for some reason it felt so right.

Rolling on top of her, Cloud kissed her again, slowly dragging his mouth down her body until he reached he reached her heated core. He breathed in her woman scent. The smell of her was earthy yet sweet and he found himself able to do something I could never do with Tifa. He tasted her.

Seventh Heaven had no air conditioning, and the heat was not Tifa's friend. Despite how much she bathed and how well she did, she just couldn't escape the fact that she would sweat. Cloud had always wanted to try it, but she never let him. Sephiroth, however, welcomed it.

He swirled his tongue around her clit as he listened to her soft sighs. She bit the back of her hand to keep from screaming as she came.

Cloud moved back up to be level with her, taking her lips again as he slid himself into her. She tightened around him on entry causing him to lose his breath. His hands took her hips, pumping her body on his throbbing cock. So tight, so silky, so wet… Arching her back, her soft breasts rubbed against his chest and he bent to offer his mouth to them.

His hips took a steady cadence, though it was harder than hell to maintain. He wanted to pound her senseless, but he also wanted it to last.

Sephiroth released a sound somewhere between a giggle and moan as she came again, bathing his loins as she did. If he thought she was wet before, she was soaked now. She fluttered and spasmed around his shaft, sending him to gnash his teeth together to keep from crying out.

He drove into her harder now, wrapping his arms around her to keep her still. His senses were flooding with nothing but her. The look of her, the taste of her, the smell, the sound, the feel…She was a goddess, this bed was her altar, this act was a rite, and he was her worshiper.

* * *

It would not be until the morning that Cloud realized what he'd done. It was the one thing he'd been trying to avoid since he met her on the balcony his first night there. And now that it was done, his heart was torn in two: the part of that loved Tifa and the part that loved Sephiroth. Despite being drunk, he couldn't be so naïve as to blame it on the alcohol. He made a conscious decision to do what he did and he had to deal with the consequences.

Sephiroth was still asleep as he dressed and before he left, he bent to kiss her again. Leaving the room, Cloud was taken aback when he found Genesis standing in the living room, Sephiroth's clothes in his hands. They looked one another in the eyes and Cloud knew that Genesis knew what they'd done.

"Busy night?" Genesis growled.

"A good night." Cloud clarified.

"I bet it was."

Cloud just smirked and left the apartment.

Genesis entered Sephiroth's room, finding the beauty still sleep in her bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress and stroked her hair, looking at her contented face. She was so vulnerable; he almost took advantage and kissed her. But he didn't, he couldn't betray her like that.

As he watched her, she stirred.

"Cloud?" She looked up at him, but her smile faded when she saw Genesis. "Oh…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, you didn't answer my call so I was worried."

"I'm fine." She hissed, looking around.

"He's not here. He left just a moment ago."

"Did he say anything?"

"Just that he had a good night."

* * *

 **I know, I did it. Hate me if you want, but it totally just happened XD**


	19. Chapter XIX: Arguing with Myself

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Holy schnitzel...I love to screw with Cloud so bad.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XIX: Arguing with Myself**

"What are you doing?" Cloud said as he paced back and forth, a cup of very strong coffee in his hand. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

 _Yes. I do believe I have._

"What are you gonna tell Tifa?"

 _Absolutely nothing. What she doesn't know won't hurt her._

"But what if I don't get home? Should I stop with Sephiroth or actually get serious with her? If I'm able to leave, it'll break her heart…"

 _Do you really want to leave?_

"I don't know anymore…Sephiroth is everything I've ever wanted." Cloud paused clutching the steaming coffee tighter, "I can't believe I actually said that. What about Tifa?"

 _What about her?_

"She and I have been through everything together. How can I just up and leave her for someone I really only just met?"

He nearly spilled the coffee when there was a knock on the door. Sephiroth was on the other side, holding his jacket.

"You left it at my place." She held it out to him. As he reached for it, he grabbed her wrist instead, yanking her inside.

He wanted to strip her down and have a replay of the previous night, but as he leaned into her, he paused. Looking into her face, he saw something was bothering her.

"What is it?"

"You left." She said, looking away from him. "I was hoping you'd be there when I woke up. But I guess that was too much to ask."

"Look…last night was…"

"A mistake, I know."

Cloud smiled, caressing her cheek with his knuckles, "Last night was the best night of my life."

She managed to meet his eye.

"I'm sorry I left. I just didn't know what to say to you. I was actually kind of afraid I disappointed you."

Sephiroth wanted to laugh, but she settled for a half smile, "You were gentle –which was surprising –but you were passionate. You made me feel loved…Like I was the center of your universe."

"Aeron never made you feel loved?"

"He made me feel protected, but his lovemaking lacked, it always kind of felt like he was doing me a favor." She dropped down into the chair as she remembered it. "What about you? Was I what you expected?"

"Absolutely! Strangely enough, I felt appreciated."

"Appreciated?" She wrinkled her nose, trying to understand.

"Tifa has an amazing body, and I always loved touching it. But she…I don't know…We would cuddle and kiss a lot, but when came to actual sex, she always shied away from me. And when we did do it, it was like you said, she was doing me a favor."

Sephiroth smiled, her pure white teeth glistening, "We really do have a lot in common, you know?"

"Yeah…"

"So why is she like that?"

"I don't really know. I know that she doesn't want to risk getting pregnant and using condoms – when they're available – is uncomfortable for her. So maybe that's the reason."

"She doesn't want children?"

"Oh she does, but not until she gets married. Besides, proper medical care is hard come by where we're from and mother-infant mortality rates have risen because of it."

"I see. That's awful."

"Anyway, thanks for bringing my jacket back."

"You're welcome."

Cloud motioned to his cup. "Want some coffee?"

"That would be nice." She grinned again before doing her best to wipe it off.

"You know, you really do look pretty when you smile." Cloud grabbed the hot pot off the table.

"Aeron never liked it when I showed my teeth. He said they were so white and straight that they looked fake."

"I think they're lovely. Me, I had a lot of cavities as a kid. Wore braces when I was about 8, didn't get them off until I was 13 and my teeth are still crooked." He handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

Sephiroth stifled a giggle, "Well, I like your crooked teeth."

Cloud watched her as she sipped her drink, marking the way her lips parted and her throat contracted. Every little thing she did seemed like heaven to him. But why? Such mundane things…Even the way she crossed her ankles was exciting to him.

"Sephiroth, is there anything you don't like about me?"

"Yes. I don't like how shallow you are, and I think your coffee-making skills are awful."

"And I'm not sure I like how frank you are."

"No one is perfect. And despite what my mother says, neither am I."

Cloud smiled, a true genuine smile, "You're perfect enough for me."

Sephiroth placed her cup on the table and breathed in a deep sigh. "I'm not sure I like how perfect you seem." The humor in her voice was completely gone.

"Why?"

"I'm just afraid your pretty words are too good to be true. I feel like I've waited my whole life to hear to you say something so romantic to me and now that you've said it, I'm afraid you'll just take it back.

"I couldn't hurt you like that, Sephiroth."

"The way you're hurting Tifa?" She felt a pang of guilt roll through her chest. "You promised her the world and I'm the one who's perfect."

"Sephiroth, I don't want Tifa anymore." He dropped to his knees in front of her. "Before you knocked, I was arguing with myself about what I want. And it's not her. Trust me, I do feel guilty about it. I've caused her so much pain, grief, and worry. I've put her through so much chaos that such a sweet young woman should never have to endure. She has literally put her life on the line for me, she has fought away countless demons for me, she's kept my head above the surface so that I wouldn't drown in the misery that had consumed me. And I really thought I wanted her…I should love her for it. And I do. I do love her. But I don't want her as much as I want you and I don't know why."

Sephiroth's eyes had welled with tears as she listened to all the things Tifa had done that she never did. Tifa sounded like an angel sent from heaven to protect Cloud. And what was she? Just a super-soldier created in a lab. She'd done nothing to make him love her and he was ready to leave his lifelong friend for her.

"The one thing I regret the most? Was that Tiffan had to die to make me realize what you mean to me. You see, Tiffan was the Tifa of this world. They are one and the same, and when he was gone I realized what was standing in front of me."

"That's what you said about that Aerith girl. Once she died your eyes were opened to Tifa. Would you move on so quickly if I died?" Sephiroth was beginning to rethink the things she'd said when she delivered the news of Tiffan's death and understand why Cloud hadn't wanted to go out with her. He knew he would fall for her just like he fell for Tifa.

"If you died, I wouldn't be able to love anyone again." Cloud took her face in his hands just as he did the previous night. "I don't know what kind of spell you cast, but I love you."

"Do you really?" She sobbed, closing her eyes against the tears.

"Yes. I love you. And yes, I'm completely sober, thanks to my terrible coffee." This earned a soft giggle from her, and it warmed his heart to see her smile, even through her tears.

"And you make bad jokes too." She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "Do you know why I love you, Cloud?"

"Why?"

"Because you know my secret and it meant nothing to you. You still treat me like a human being."

"It's what makes you, you." He kissed her, enjoying it so much more than the first time.

* * *

Cloud and Sephiroth held each other beneath the sheets, leaving gentle kisses across one another's bodies. She traced each of his scars, strangely fascinated by the ones in the center of his chest; the ones her male counterpart had left as a morbid souvenir.

He pushed her onto her back, sheathing himself within her before rolling back over, dragging her on top of him. She rode him slowly, enjoying the feel of him sliding in and out of her. She rocked her hips gently, wanting to feel him touch every part of her.

 _Why do I want you so badly?_ Cloud thought as he ran his hand between her breasts. _If Tifa and Tiffan are one and the same, aren't you and the other Sephiroth also the same? Are you showing me a side to Sephiroth he could never show anyone? Is that what makes you different?_

He lifted up and tenderly teased her neck with his teeth. This caused her to buck her hips, breaking her rhythm. She gasped out, part in pleasure, part in annoyance. Tugging his hair, she forced his head back, claiming his mouth as she began to ride him harder.

Cloud's hand found her hips, digging his fingers into her supple skin as he struggled to keep from coming. The pleasure was building the faster she went, his body was coating in sweat, and he didn't want to make her stop.

Moaning into her mouth, Cloud slammed her down onto him, releasing inside of her. The feeling of being bathed in his heat was enough to send her over the edge and she came so hard she began shuddering his arms.

He rolled her back over, holding her against his chest until her shivering had subsided. The air touched the sweat glistening on their bodies, cooling them as they clung to one another. But it wasn't over. That single powerful orgasm was the first of many that day as they drowned themselves in each other, drunk on lust and what they both proclaimed was love; doing their best forget lost loves, past and present.

* * *

Cloud did not sleep. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating his next move. His wish to have someone beside him at night was fulfilled, but his heart was still warring with his mind.

 _You are a jerk and a hopeless loser!_ His rational side screamed, but his love-struck side said, _I found love where I least expected it. How does that make me a bad person?_

 _Because you came here to kill Sephiroth to erase the pain and suffering from the life of the woman you really love. To make Tifa happy is the whole reason you went on this stupid journey! And now you're in love with Sephiroth? What is Tifa, chopped liver?_

 _Tifa is a wonderful person and I'm sure she'll make someone a wonderful wife. That someone just isn't me._

 _Give me a break! Once you get back home and Sephiroth is once again dead, you'll forget this whole thing ever happened. You'll get back to your delivery service, tuck Denzel in at night, and crawl right back into bed with Tifa._

 _Who said anything about going home?_

 _What? So you're not going to find a way to get back? The woman who will be your wife and your kid – who, by the way, you've barely thought of since you've been here – are waiting for you, probably worried beyond belief!_

 _They'll make it without me. They probably think I'm dead by now anyway, showing up will only freak them out._

 _You're kidding._

 _I'm staying right here._

 _Get a grip, asshole!_

 _Shut up, Logical Side, I'm going to sleep now. Fuck you, very much!_

* * *

 ** _Uh-oh...Well, we've known from the beginning that this alternate universe has been slowly tainting Cloud's personality, turning him to be like the Other Cloud; it's starting to get stronger I think, now that Tiffan is gone. Okay *rubs hands together* let's see what's going on with Tifa and Other Cloud._**


	20. Chapter XX: Far from a Knight

**I Do Not Own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XX: Far from a Knight**

"Cloud, why don't you like Tifa anymore?" This getting along with kids was aggravating. But Cloud knew that if he wanted to stay on Tifa's good side then he'd better keep up the act.

"Actually I do like Tifa, but…Things are complicated."

Denzel rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, "Why do grownups always 'it's complicated' when kids ask questions?"

 _Because kids are fucking annoying and wouldn't understand anyway._ "Because grownup life is complicated. There are things that even we don't completely understand. And that's what it's like with me and Tifa right now."

"You're sleeping in your office now. I saw you last night."

"Look, kid, Tifa and I taking a little break right now. So if you don't mind, stop asking questions, get out of our business, and just let it go."

Denzel was taken aback such a sharp answer, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. Cloud had always told him that he could ask him anything, share any thoughts or feelings with him, and come to him if he needed help. And never, had he ever called him 'kid' to his face. He might have been a child, but Denzel wasn't stupid; there was something very wrong with Cloud. He'd been like this for weeks, cold, unapproachable, and completely self-centered.

Just nodding, Denzel got up and grabbed his backpack, heading out to school. Marlene had already left, leaving early to help with classroom chores.

Tifa came down a while later, dabbing her hair with a towel. Finding Cloud alone at the table, she frowned.

"Is Denzel gone?"

"Yeah, he left."

"He never leaves without telling me goodbye." She narrowed her eyes at him, "What did you say to him?"

"I just told him to stop being so nosey. The kid asks too many questions."

"Of course he does, he's a child."

"And that's why I hate kids. They don't know how to stay out of what doesn't concern them."

"Look, if you're going to stay here, you're gonna have to behave. You can be yourself around me, but the kids don't need to know you're not the real Cloud."

"Why? It would be so much easier if they knew."

"I don't want to burden them with the worry of where he is. That's for me to suffer with and me alone."

"I don't even know how I got here in the first place, what if I'm not able to leave?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

* * *

Cloud watched Tifa's ass sway from side to side as she slid between tables, passing out drinks and food. She was wearing a very tiny blue skirt, so small in fact, that Cloud was sure he'd catch a glimpse of her panties. Her enormous bust was barely contained in her little black top, offering a gorgeous foretaste of what lay beneath.

Even though he fully enjoyed the view, Cloud wasn't too keen on other men's eyes following her. As he watched the guests ordering her around, he was becoming increasingly resentful. Some of them intentionally dropped glasses and utensils just to get a look down her top, at the same time giving the guy behind her a good show.

She had a pretty enough face, but Tifa's body alone made her a solid 10. And she knew it too. She used her assets to her advantage, dressing in skimpy outfits and suffering the drunken attention for the money it gave her. She had too kids to look after, so she did what she needed to do in this sad, chaotic world.

Cloud understood what she was doing, but it didn't help the fact that he wanted to be only one privy to what she had to show off. In the weeks that he'd spent there, pretending to be someone he wasn't, Cloud was slowly growing more and more jealous. He wanted Tifa all to himself.

And then someone tip toed a little too far.

One of the drunken men slapped her ass as she went by. Tifa tried to laugh it off so not make a scene. Cloud, however, went off the deep end.

Rage fired up inside of him, rippling through his stomach. He dashed across the room, barreling through the tables. Grabbing the drunk by the collar, he dragged him from his chair to the center of the room.

"Whattaya think your doin' huh?" Cloud hollered, "Puttin' your hands on my girl? She's mine, loser!" He began wailing on the man, punching him to the point of nearly breaking his jaw.

"Cloud, stop!" Tifa, screamed, rushing for her customer, hoping he wasn't throttled too hard.

Cloud dragged the poor fool out the door, ready to pound him into the pavement. Tifa grabbed Cloud's waist, yanking him back into the bar.

"Just let him go!"

Finally Cloud released him, letting him run away screaming.

"What are you thinking?"

"What are you talking about? He assaults you and I'm supposed to just ignore it?"

Tifa took a step back. She hadn't thought of it like that. She was so concerned with the spectacle he was making of himself that she hadn't stopped to consider that Cloud was only trying to protect her.

"Go sit down, Cloud," she said, looking down at the floor.

Cloud curled his lip. "Ungrateful bitch," he hissed as he stormed from the bar.

Tifa was left feeling embarrassed and ashamed.

She continued the evening, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. She put on a smile, however fake it was, and tended to the rest of her customers. Even though Cloud had gone, none of the remaining customers even dared to sneak a peek up her skirt. She was now completely off limits.

* * *

The bar had been closed for hours. It was early in the morning and Tifa still hadn't gone to bed. She sat there in the booth where her Cloud usually sat, sipping his drink and watching her work. She ran her hand over the groove he'd worn in the wood, her lip quivering as she thought about where he might be. That impostor still hadn't come back and she wondered where he was too.

Wiping away a stray tear, she sniffed back the flow. She tried to tell herself that no man was worth crying over. But as she looked at the wolf's head ring, she gave in to the pain in her heart. Tears rushed forth like the floodgates had opened and she gasped out in agony.

Tifa was so lost in her own head that she hadn't noticed she was no longer alone. A hand ruffled her hair and she immediately sat up to see that Cloud had returned.

"Cloud…" she whimpered, throwing her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, breathing in her hair. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You're a jerk. Because of that outburst, I might start losing customers."

"I know…I was just trying to keep you safe. I don't like it when other men look at you. And when one of them touched you, I just…lost it."

"It's not your place to protect me, Cloud. You're not my boyfriend nor are you my husband or my father. There was no need for you to get involved." She let go of him, falling back into the booth.

"Cut me some slack, woman! What would your _boyfriend_ have done differently?"

"First, he wouldn't have beaten that man half to death in front of the whole town! He would have confronted him with words instead of fists. He's killed people before, but only evil people. And that poor fool didn't mean any harm."

"Look, I might be a Soldier, but I'm far from a knight in shining armor. Gallantry isn't exactly my forte. If you wanna be saved, _princess_ , I do it my way."

"You are a horrible person."

"And you're an ingrate." He was about to leave again when Tifa stood up.

"Cloud, wait."

He paused, looking over his shoulder.

"It's not that I don't appreciate what you did, I just didn't like how you did it. I know you don't really care, but I have a business to run, and I don't need you beating up my customers. Men are gonna look at me; it's the nature of the beast. Besides, I get a little jealous too."

"You do?"

"Yeah, there's this one girl that comes in all the time and she's always looking at you. When I take her order, she always wants what you're having. It makes me sick."

"Really?" Cloud's ego perked up.

"Yes. I want so bad to kick her out because I don't want her to try anything with you."

"But I'm not your Cloud. What difference does it make?"

"I don't know, I just know how I feel."

"So you've got a boyfriend and you're jealous that a girl is looking at a guy who is not your boyfriend?"

The shame crept back into Tifa's stomach. "Yeah."

A genuine smile spread across Cloud's face. "You like me."

"What?"

"Admit it!"

"Well…I…" Tifa's face rushed with blood, turning her skin bright pink.

"You're blushing."

"Yes, because you've made me upset!" She was a horrible liar.

Cloud approached her again and caressed her cheek. "Admit it, you think I was sexy tonight."

"Sexy?"

"Yeah, the way I rushed in and saved you from getting molested by that guy. It made you mad, but you liked it too."

"Get a grip!" She pushed him off and ran for the stairs.

Cloud smirked; she was so cute.


	21. Chapter XXI: What He's Done

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **XXI: What He's Done**

The house was quiet but Tifa was unable to sleep. She stared at the ceiling, rubbing the cold, empty space beside her. A beautiful blonde man used to sleep there, but now it seemed only his ghost remained. Another blonde man was in the next room, but despite looking identical to him, he was not as beautiful was her man.

She sniffed the pillow. His scent was fading fast and absolutely no warmth from him remained. It was almost as if he was never there. Tifa clutched the pillow against her chest, burying her face deep into it, hoping to capture the last of his smell.

"Where are you, Cloud?" She breathed.

Somewhere between memories and tears, Tifa found sleep. But it was restless and stressful; her dreams were filled with the possibilities of what happened to her Cloud. Was he kidnapped, was he dead, did he run off with another woman, did he just plain run off? Anything was possible. She tossed and turned, all the while crying in her sleep.

"Cloud!" She cried out as she punched the pillow. "Cloud, please!"

In the next room, Cloud was roused from his own dreams by the sound of her screams. Without thinking, he jumped from the cot and rushed out to the hall. Denzel had opened his door, panic plain on his face.

"Go back to bed, Denzel."

"But Tifa –"

"I said, go back to bed. I'll see to Tifa." Cloud shoved him back into his room before turning to Tifa's door.

She screamed again as Cloud entered her room, finding her rolling around her bed, throwing punches into the air.

"Cloud!"

"Tifa, wake up." He grabbed her wrists, bringing them down to her chest. She struggled against him, but Cloud kept her pinned until she calmed. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked directly into his face. Gasping for breath, she flung her arms around his neck, pulling him down onto her.

"Cloud, you're back!" She sobbed, burying her face in his neck and breathing him in. Then she went rigid. "No…" She leaned back from him; his scent was not the same. That was when it hit her; this was not her Cloud but the impostor.

"Tifa…"

"What are you doing in my room?" She pushed him off of her, drawing up the sheets to cover herself even though she wore pajamas.

"You were screaming for me. I thought you might need help." He said honestly.

"I was?" She shook her head, "I was calling for Cloud."

"Well, my name is Cloud too."

"Whatever, just…please go away."

Cloud felt a tiny little ping in his tiny little heart. "Why do I even try?" He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Tifa closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She wanted to thank him, but the words just wouldn't come out. Keeping her eyes closed, Tifa lay back down, drawing the covers up under her chin.

"Please, let me sleep." She whispered to the dark.

* * *

"Okay kids," Cloud groaned as he slapped together some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. "Tifa's still asleep, so I'm seeing you off to school today.

"Yippee." Denzel sighed, wrinkling his nose at the slice of bologna Cloud slid into one of the sandwiches.

"Are you putting mayonnaise with the peanut butter?" Marlene said in horror.

"Maybe I am."

"You want us to die don't you?"

"Don't be so dramatic and stop asking questions."

"Whatever your making is gonna kill us!"

"No it won't, my dad made this crap for me when I was your age."

Marlene shook her head, "Stop lying, you didn't have a dad, Cloud."

"Okay, my mom then. Whatever." He tossed the sandwiches unwrapped into the paper bags before throwing them at the kids, "Here, get out."

The kids gagged as they held their bags as far away from their noses as possible. Once they were outside, they ran to the nearest trashcan and disposed of the toxic waste. They'd rather starve than eat whatever sludge he'd concocted. And they both knew a thing or two about starving.

"Does Cloud seem different to you, Denzel?" Marlene wrung her skirt in her hands.

"He's been acting weird ever since he came home unconscious."

"Maybe he hit his head or something."

"Who knows, all I know is that he's not the same person he was before."

Tifa came down several hours after the kids left for school. She was bummed that she'd missed them.

"Did the kids get their lunches?"

"Yeah, I made sandwiches for them." Cloud tossed the cheese wrappers in the trashcan.

Tifa paused, "You made them lunch?"

"I did. Is that a problem?"

"N-no, it's actually really nice of you."

Cloud curled his lip in a sardonic grin. "I just made them my dad's specialty."

"What's that?"

"Suicide Sandwich."

" _What?_ "

"It's a sandwich with a little bit of everything. Peanut butter, jelly, mustard, mayonnaise, bologna, cheese, the whole bit."

Tifa's stomach lurched, "Why the hell would you feed them that?"

"Because I hate kids, I told you."

Tifa dropped her face in her hands, "Just when I thought you did something nice, you have to ruin it."

"Oh come on, don't be like that." He took her shoulders in his hands. "They'll be just fine. I ate worse stuff growing up."

"Like what?"

"There's this one dish my dad called, 'The Ass Burner'. Though that name doesn't really measure up to the intensity of it."

"What exactly is it?"

"It's a beef dish made with habanero and ghost peppers!"

"Oh good god…"

"Yeah, the first time I ate it my butt bled for a week."

"So gross, why would you tell me that?"

"Because, Sweetheart, I'm a dick."

"At least you can admit it."

Cloud dropped into a chair and looked her up and down. Even in her pajamas she was hot. He'd give anything to fuck her again.

"So…Tifa, were you really serious that you won't have sex with me again?"

"Of course I was!" She shook her fist in front of his face. "I won't cheat on my boyfriend."

"But you already did. What's the harm in doing it again?"

"Before I thought you were him, but now I won't make the same mistake." She crossed her arms and took a step back from him. "Now, don't bring that up again, please?"

"What's a guy supposed to do, Tifa? My balls are fuckin' blue! And jacking off is not cutting it. I need some pussy or I need some ass. Preferably both and preferably yours."

"Why me? Why not one of those sleazy lushes that hangs out in the bar?"

"Because you get jealous for one thing." He grinned darkly, "And because well…I like you Tifa. I do. And I'm trying really hard to behave."

"I know you are but, just because you behave, that doesn't mean that I'm going to sleep with you. You might not understand it, but I believe in love, Cloud. I only want to be with the man I love. And it's not you."

Cloud just nodded and exhaled sharply.

* * *

That night in the bar, Cloud watched for the girl that Tifa had mentioned. Glancing around from table to table, he finally found her. She was sitting at a booth by herself, watching him. She was pretty, with blue eyes and dark brown hair, even her yellow dress was eye catching as it hugged her curves beautifully.

Sure enough she ordered the same thing Cloud was having. With a crooked smile, he nodded at her, lifting his drink in a silent toast to her.

Tifa saw this exchange and had to bite back the urge to say something. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way. He wasn't her Cloud, no matter how much he resembled him, so there was no reason she should be jealous.

Cloud finished his drink and approached the young woman, sliding into the booth beside her. She welcomed him with a bright smile and a victorious glance in Tifa's direction.

"Hey, I'm Cloud."

"I'm Yvette."

"Yvette…" He looked her up and down, deciding she might be enough to satisfy him. "You come here often?"

"Every night."

"Why this place?"

"I like the view." She blushed as she looked into his rich blue eyes.

"Got a thing for Soldiers, do you?"

"I've got a thing for you."

Cloud leaned in to smell her perfume.

Tifa stood by, watching the exchange from a distance. Her stomach was rolling with what-ifs and her heart throbbing angrily in her chest. She tried to act like nothing was wrong, but she dropped a glass, letting it shatter against the concrete floor as she saw Cloud take Yvette's hand and lead her upstairs. Tifa stood there dumbfounded, the glass at her feet.

Cloud and Yvette had already begun kissing and trying to undress as they pushed open the door to Tifa's bedroom. She pushed him down onto the bed and straddled his hips.

No sooner did he have his pants pulled down did he realize what room they were in. A photo of his doppelganger and Tifa sat on the nightstand, the two of them looking cute and coupley. He stared at Tifa, wanting it to be her as he felt Yvette's lips close around his shaft.

Letting his eyes close and his head roll back, he tried not to think about Tifa, regardless of how much he'd rather be with her. But she'd made it clear it wasn't going to happen. It was, however, happening with Yvette…Did he really want it though?

It seemed the more pleasure the girl gave him, guiltier he felt. But why? It couldn't be because they were doing it in Tifa's room. It couldn't be because he didn't know the girl. It couldn't be because he wanted no one but Tifa. But it was all those things.

"Get off…" He husked.

"I can't…it's so good…"

"I said get off."

"No…"

"Get off you fuckin' whore!" He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her off of him.

She landed on the floor, looking up at him as if he'd gone completely nuts. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting dressed." He said, zipping up his pants.

"But…"

"I want you out of here. I want you gone and to never come back."

"I don't understand."

"Understand this – One, you are a slut. Two, your pick up lines are weak. And three, I just realized that I can't be unfaithful to Tifa."

"Why? She's a slut too. No telling how many guys that thing's fucked."

"That 'thing' is my girlfriend. She has only been with one man and that's me. Yeah, we're in a rough patch, but she's enough for me. Now leave."

Yvette scoffed at him, "Fuck you, asshole."

"Only in your dreams, bitch."

Cloud followed her down as she left, pausing at the doorway just in time to catch Tifa's surprised expression as Yvette ran out the door red in the face.

She was the last guest to leave as Tifa locked the door behind her. She leaned her head against the glass as she turned the sign around to _closed_.

"I thought you had blue balls." She whispered, an indignant smile on her face.

"I do. But she wasn't the cure." Cloud crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. "I've never felt this way before Tifa. I've never felt the guilt of being with someone when the one who needs me most is waiting elsewhere."

"You never felt guilty for cheating on Tiffan?"

"Never. But I feel guilty for cheating on you." He turned her around to see her face. Her eyes were red around the edges and her lip was quivering. "I'm changing; being here is making me look at things differently. It's fucking scary, Tifa…But I want to change. I want to change so I can be who you need me to be."


	22. Chapter XXII: Pulling His Weight

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXII: Pulling His Weight**

"Do you know who I need you to be?" Tifa whispered, closing her eyes against

"I think I'm getting an idea." Cloud caressed Tifa's cheeks and rested his forehead against hers. He was so close to kissing her he couldn't stand it. But he didn't want to kiss her yet, at least not until he'd washed himself of the other woman.

"I need someone who will take care of us." She leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'll do what I can until your Cloud comes home."

"That's all I can ask for." She backed away from him, wiping her eyes of the few tears that escaped and went to grab a fresh rag from the hamper behind the bar.

"I also want to apologize." Cloud crossed his arms, looking at the floor.

"For what?"

"For using your room. I didn't realize she'd led me in there until we were on your bed."

"You had sex with her on my bed?" Tifa's shoulder's tensed and she felt that she'd be sick.

"Well…we didn't get very far, I mean – "

"Did your penis make contact with her vagina?" Her teeth set on edge.

"Um, yes…"

"Then sex happened on my bed." She threw the bottle of cleaner at his head.

"Ouch!"

"Damn it, Cloud you really know how to mess things up!" Tifa slumped down over the countertop and hid her face in her arms.

"I'm sorry."

"Are you? Are you really?"

Cloud sighed, remorse for what he did laying heavily on his stomach. Without a word, he left Tifa alone in the bar.

"I thought not…" Tifa lifted herself from the counter and set to work cleaning up.

There was no sense in wallowing in self-pity. She knew he'd never be who she needed him to be; she knew he'd never be her Cloud.

Once the bar was spotless and ready for business the following night, Tifa dragged herself up to bed. She didn't want to sleep on the sheets now that Cloud had had that woman on them. However, she was too tired to change them out. She knew that as soon as she got upstairs, she was gonna pass out.

Tifa opened the door and paused. Cloud was in her room, fluffing her pillows. He'd not only changed out the sheets and comforter on her bed, but he laid out her favorite set of pajamas to change into.

"Cloud…"

"I thought I'd change the sheets so you won't have to worry about them. I really am sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He tugged the leg of her pajama pants, "Well, here you go. Good night, Tifa."

"Good night, Cloud."

He left her to her thoughts.

* * *

Despite everything, Tifa was actually able to sleep that night. In fact she slept so well that she overslept again, forcing Cloud to get up and make the children's lunches again. He already had them packed and ready before Denzel and Marlene even headed down stairs.

"Oh great…" Denzel winced as he saw Cloud placing the bags on the table near the door.

With a smile, Cloud nodded "Don't worry, it's edible this time."

"I don't believe you." Marlene said as she cautiously opened her bag.

Inside was a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap, and smelled like tuna fish. Lifting it from the bag, she peeled back the plastic and peeked between the bread. There was tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and hardboiled egg all mixed together in a lovely tuna salad sandwich.

Her eyebrows knitted together and she looked up at Cloud who winked at her.

Denzel had the same, and with each sandwich was an apple and an orange along with a bottle of water.

"These look surprisingly healthy…" Denzel said, suspicious.

"Look, if you don't like it, I can give you slop I gave you yesterday." Cloud snarled, trying to keep his temper cool.

"No, no, no!" The kids cried out together, rewrapping their sandwiches. "We like tuna!"

"Then what's the matter?"

"It's just that, you haven't really been very nice to us lately and…well…with that weird lunch you made us yesterday…" Denzel scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words.

Cloud rubbed his forehead, "I've been trying to straighten up for Tifa's sake. I want her to like me, so I'm doing my best to behave."

"If you want her to like you again, you need to be yourself again."

"Yeah, you've been acting really weird. You used to be nice and now you're kinda mean." Marlene said.

"You don't make any time for us anymore either." Denzel moaned.

"And you've stopped riding your motorcycle. Tifa has to work even harder to take care of us now because you closed your delivery business. And because you don't have any money, you've stopped buying her presents and getting supplies for her bar and I bet that makes her sad too." Marlene tapped the floor with her toe. "You know, if you reopened your business, Tifa would be a lot less stressed out and then she won't be as sad."

"Ok, spend time with kids, reopen business, give gifts, buy supplies….What else?" Cloud made a mental note of everything he needed.

"Cook for her. I know you're not that great at cooking, but it makes her feel good to be waited on when she does the waiting for her job."

"I guess I can do that. Anything else?"

"And don't kiss other girls!" Denzel wrinkled his nose at him.

"What?"

"I saw you last night with that woman in the yellow dress. If you want Tifa to be happy again, only kiss her from now on!" With that, he grabbed Marlene's hand and marched out the door.

Cloud growled under his breath as they slammed the door behind them. "And that's why I can't stand kids."

* * *

Mounting the massive motorcycle, Cloud suddenly felt a twinge of fear as he started up the engine. He was not well practiced in motor vehicles; even driving a truck made him shudder.

"I gotta do this for Tifa."

The first ride was ill fated as Cloud dumped over. The second and third attempts weren't much better, resulting in sprains and bruises from wiping out. But he persevered, trying again and again until he was able to drive across town. Days went by and Cloud continued to practice, getting better every time he tried. Within a couple of weeks, Cloud was confident enough in his driving to attempt making a delivery.

Examining the other Cloud's log books and invoices, he gathered enough information on how this business was run. When a call comes in for a delivery, Cloud must pick up the package and take it across town to the destination. He charges by the weight of the parcel and requires payment when he first picks it up. Then he collects two signed copies of the receipt from the receiving party; one for the sender and one for his own records.

Easy enough. Now for a delivery.

Cloud didn't have to wait long. He often wondered why Tifa insisted on answering the phone in his room, and now he knew – she was turning down customers. But now the Strife Delivery Service was back in business.

As soon as the phone rang, Cloud snatched it from the cradle, "Strife Delivery Service!"

Tifa had rushed in as soon as she heard the phone ring and was appalled that Cloud had answered. A part of her worried at first that it might have been that girl from the bar trying to weasel her way back in, but she shoved down the jealous thought. No, it wasn't her; Cloud was being too polite, too…

"Alright, I'll be there in 15 minutes. Yes…Thank you, Sir." Cloud hung up the phone. He turned around to find Tifa staring at him from the doorway.

"Who was that?"

"A customer. He needs me to deliver a package across town."

"A customer? Cloud, I don't know…"

"Look, I haven't been practicing riding that fucking motorcycle for nothing. I'm gonna do this," he sighed heavily, knowing what he had to do to win her favor. "I have to make money to help you out. The kids opened my eyes to the fact that you're doing everything on your own. To work and make money is the least I can do to pay you back for letting me stay."

Tifa took a step back, surprised. "Things _have_ been hard." She looked down at her hand.

Cloud had noticed the silver wolf's head ring she always wore was gone. In fact, it had been missing for a while. No…she didn't…

"I had to sell some of my jewelry...to pay the rent."

"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner that you needed help?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry. It's not your place to help."

"Of course it is! Tifa I…" He shook his head, grabbing his keys. "I'll be back soon." He pushed past her and headed out the door.

* * *

The day grew late before Cloud made it home. He acquired four other deliveries while he was out, earning about a 250 gil in a single afternoon. What a haul. After setting aside what he needed for fuel, Cloud had earned a 100 gil. It wasn't much, but it was certainly a start.

"If I can keep this up, then I can make about 700 a week, which is like 2800 gil a month! Whoa!"

Setting aside 50 gil for himself, Cloud went down to the bar and placed the rest on the countertop in front of Tifa.

"What's that for?"

"It's for you."

"Cloud, I can't accept that; it's yours."

"Yes it is, and I do with it what I want. So I'm giving it to you."

Tifa's lips quivered like she was either about to argue or about to cry. "Thank you…"

Cloud took as many deliveries that he could in a single day, aiming for that dream number of 2800 gil for the month. Giving Tifa half of what he made every day, he was more than earning his keep.

At the end of the month, he counted his earnings. "1542 gil. Times two, that's…3084 gil!" Cloud fell backward on his cot, a satisfied breath escaping his mouth.

Now what was he going to do with his cash? First, he was going to buy a new bed; that cot was a piece of crap. And next…"I'm gonna take Tifa and the kids out for some fun."

* * *

"Get packed kids." Cloud said as he tossed two new suitcases on their beds.

"Where are we going?" Denzel ran his finger along the smooth surface of the suitcase.

"We are heading out for a weekend of fun and adventure." Cloud said. "We're going to the Gold Saucer!"

"Yay!" The kids cheered, jumping around.

"What's going on in here?" Tifa slid into the room, handing Cloud a cup of coffee.

"Cloud's taking us to the Gold Saucer for the weekend!"

"Really?" She eyeballed Cloud for a moment, not sure exactly what to think.

"Yep," Cloud lifted a new suitcase to her view, "Got us a reservation at the Ghost Hotel and everything."

"You're serious?" Her face lit up.

"I am, so go get packed, we're leaving when the kids get home tomorrow night."


	23. Chapter XXIII: Like the First Time

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. You asked for it and I delivered. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXIII: Like the First Time**

Tifa leaned over the railing on the balcony overlooking the amusement park. The children were out enjoying themselves while she and Cloud stayed behind in the hotel room. Cloud took a nap while Tifa reflected on the first time she'd ever been there.

It was a night just like this one, perfect weather and a starry sky. And she waited in a room just like the one she was in for a guy that would never come. She'd swallowed her nerve that night and went to Cloud's room, hoping to find him and ask him to enjoy the evening with her. But instead she'd found the room empty and learned later that he'd spent the night with Aerith.

Tifa's heart had broken into a hundred pieces when she found out. It was breaking again as she sat there, watching lovers strolling hand in hand along the walkways. It was just like that night…lonely. The vitality zapped completely from her; she wanted to go out but had no energy to do it.

As she thought she might die there, she heard Cloud stir from the bed. Yawning, he turned around and found her looking like she was about to cry.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." She drew in a deep breath and looked back down at the happy people below.

"You know, we're on vacation, and I'm footing the bill. You could at least pretend to appreciate it." Cloud leaned against the doorframe, watching her shiver as a small gust of wind swirled her hair around her shoulders.

"I do appreciate it."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

"It's nothing."

Cloud smirked at her, the sardonic grin becoming a genuine smile, "Come on, let's get dressed. I'm taking you out."

"Where?" Tifa perked up, her stomach prickling.

"First, we're getting dinner at this new restaurant they opened, and then we're going to enjoy the attractions." He opened her suitcase and rooted through it until he found something he secretly packed for her. "Wear this."

Tifa blushed when she recognized the blue dress and heels he held. It was the dress she wore when she went to question Don Corneo at his mansion. She wasn't sure about wearing it in public again; she felt it was a bit much.

"Is there something else I can wear?"

"This place is kind of fancy, they say. This is the only cocktail dress you've got."

She took the dress and shoes, twisting her nose at him, "Don't root through my closet anymore."

She went to the bathroom to change. When she emerged again, Cloud had already changed into a button down shirt and jacket, looking every bit a gentleman. He looked marvelously handsome and Tifa blushed bright red when he looked her up and down, taking in her beauty.

"Wow, Tifa you look…"

"…You too…"

"Come on, let's get outta here." He offered his arm to her, which she took graciously.

* * *

The restaurant was indeed quite posh, and Tifa was happy she still had that blue dress lying around. It was by far the finest thing in her closet.

"Are you sure you can afford his place?" Tifa gulped, looking at the prices on the menu.

"Don't worry about it. It's only money, I'll make more." Cloud insisted, not batting an eyelash.

Instead of worry about pricing, he was more concerned with the keyhole neckline exposing Tifa's beautiful cleavage. The sight of it made his mouth water better than any meal.

"What are you looking at?" Tifa placed her menu on the table, feeling small beneath Cloud's crushing gaze.

"Nothing." He placed his menu on the table and waved the waiter over, ordering steak and wine for the both of them.

"I hope the kids are alright." Tifa sighed as she toyed with a lock of her hair.

"They're just fine. They can take care of themselves."

"I know." She forced a smile, "I'm just a mom, it wouldn't be right if I didn't worry."

"It's okay. Just enjoy this evening with me."

This was what she hoped would happen with her and Cloud on that night that seemed so long ago. The night he fell in love with another woman. She hoped he'd give her this kind of attention, spoil her and tell her he loved her. But that never happened, not until much later at least.

"Tifa?"

"Huh?" She snapped her head up, finding that he'd half eaten his meal and she'd not yet touched hers.

How long had she been spacing out?

"Sorry," Tifa picked up her fork and knife. "I was thinking about something."

"Like what?"

"Nothing, just…what new drinks I can come up with."

Cloud huffed at the blatant lie.

* * *

After dinner they went out enjoy the sights. Cloud played a few games, winning just enough tickets to trade for a teddy bear he gave to Tifa. She accepted the gift, thinking she'd just end up giving it to Marlene at some point.

They rode a few rides, but Tifa felt uncomfortable when she realized onlookers below might be able to see up her skirt.

"Don't be such a prude," Cloud teased, but offered his jacket to wear on her lap.

As they continued on, Tifa paused at the gondolas, watching happy lovers hitch rides for the sole purpose of making-out without being bothered. Again she wished she was with her Cloud so she could feel that spark of excitement.

"Do you want to go on those?" Cloud asked, tugging her arm toward them.

"Yes, please."

As they entered the gondola, Tifa went right up the window. Cloud took a seat, preferring to watch her enjoy herself. The sad thing was, she wasn't enjoying herself. A look of pure sadness was evident on her lovely face and Cloud busied himself trying to figure out what he did wrong.

"You look beautiful tonight." He tried, thinking it was because he hadn't complimented her yet.

"Thank you." She closed her eyes and hung her head.

"In fact, you look beautiful every night…And every day."

She scoffed, "The first night you were with me, you told me I was ugly."

"Yeah, I did and I was wrong. I was upset, angry, and confused. I wanted to hurt you so I wouldn't feel hurt myself." Cloud closed his eyes against the shame before mustering the courage to look at her again. "But I'm not angry or confused now. And you are beautiful."

"I don't feel it."

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Bring my Cloud back so I can spend this perfect night with him."

Cloud sighed heavily. So that's what the problem is. "I can bring him back. I would if I could, but I can't. In fact, if I could, I'd do anything to make you smile."

He raked her hair back over her shoulder, taking another shameless peek down her dress before looking at her face.

"Thank you, Cloud."

"For what?"

"For trying to be a prince for me."

"I'm only a prince if you're my princess." He produced a small box from his pocket, dropping it into her hand.

Tifa stared at it, her heart hammering in her chest so hard she thought it would break through her skin. Running her thumb over the velvet exterior, she shuddered at the idea of what he might be trying to say. She wanted to scream for joy and scream for pain at the same time. How can one feel excitement and disappointment at once?

Biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood, Tifa opened the box. What lay inside was not what she expected, but it meant so much more. Instead of a sparkling diamond set in gold or silver, she found a stainless steel wolf's head.

"My…ring…" She clapped a hand over her mouth. "How did you…"

"Never mind how I got it back. Just accept that it's back and you don't have to be sad anymore."

"Cloud..." She slipped the ring back on her finger where it belonged.

As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't believe he was the same man she bloodied up just a couple months prior. He'd grown in so many ways. He was no longer as selfish as he once was, no longer lazy and no longer cruel. She'd spent her life thinking that Cloud was the man she needed, she thought she wanted that brooding, shy boy she grew up with. But now she wasn't so sure, a part of her wanted this outgoing and outspoken look alike. Sure he hadn't saved her life or fought off monsters to protect their family, but he did prove that he had what it took to take care of them. And while he wasn't the one who gave her the wolf's head ring, he was the one who rescued it from being lost forever.

"What's so special about that ring, anyway?" He asked, lifting her hand.

"It was a promise."

"For what?"

"That he'd always come home to me." She shook her head slowly.

"But now it means something else." It was like he could read her mind.

"Yes…" She leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It means that I'll always take care of you. Whatever you want, whatever you need. Come hell or high water, you'll have it."

Tears brimmed at her eyes as she gave in and let him kiss her. It wasn't the kiss she'd expected. She thought he would attack her; viciously trying to eat her soul like did before. But this kiss was soft and tender, loving, like the kisses that her Cloud used to give. Only for some reason this Cloud's touch felt more sincere, more like he actually loved her, rather than using her to cover up a buried sorrow.

Is that was her Cloud had been doing? Or is her mind just playing tricks on her?

* * *

She tossed away all thought of the old Cloud when they made it back to the hotel room. Thankfully the kids were still out, and hopefully they wouldn't be back anytime soon.

Tifa allowed Cloud to kiss her again, this time unbuttoning his shirt and drawing it off of him as he hungrily did away with her dress.

Sitting her on the edge of the bed, Cloud knelt between her legs, tugging off her panties. He kissed her thigh, working his way closer to her pussy. She caught his head when she felt his breath against her body.

"No please…" She breathed, "…That place is – _Oh!_ " She fell backward on the bed when he tasted her regardless of her protest. She was just as sweet as he hoped she was; that perfect, earthy taste that tingled his tongue.

She arched her back as she gripped his hair, rolling her hips against his face she fought for more. Why had she refused this? It was amazing! The feel of his tongue was unlike anything she felt before as it touched every part of her pulsing clit at once. It brought her to the quickest, sweetest orgasm she'd ever had. It almost left her exhausted. But Cloud couldn't allow that.

Pushing down his pants, Cloud flipped her over on all fours, entering her from behind. Tifa preferred the missionary position; other positions felt lewd to her – now she craved that naughty feeling. She enjoyed the way he pounded against her, the way he ran his hands down her front and panted into her hair. Kneeling up, she twisted around to kiss him, letting his hands cup her breasts. It was in that moment that she glanced toward the window, seeing the gondolas pass by several yards out.

Could the riders see them? For the first time she didn't care. In that moment she was like the most beautiful, sexiest thing on the planet.

Cloud pushed her back down and rolled her over, enjoying the view of her twisting and writhing beneath him. Her moans filled his ears like the sweetest music and he grinned at the sight as she began touching herself. She ran her hands up and down her body, massaging her breasts and moving down to toy with her clit as he thrust in and out of her.

She mounted to another delicious orgasm once again this time relishing that feel of his body contracting around a thick, hard cock rather than air. Cloud fell forward atop her, having not expected her to squeeze him quite so hard. It was almost painful, but the pleasure outweighed it as he rushed toward his own release.

Withdrawing from her, Cloud had barely enough energy left to climb onto the bed. They lay together panting and sighing. Using the last of their strength, they slid beneath the sheets. Cloud drew Tifa close to him and kissed her again, his mouth roving over hers ever so softly. They petted and caressed each other as if trying to ensure they were both really there.

"I feel strange." Tifa whispered against his lips.

"How so?"

"I don't know. I kind of feel like a virgin again. Like this is the first time I've ever made love."

"That _is_ strange…But it's not bad at all."


	24. Chapter XXIV: Fear and Desires

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXIV: Fear and Desires**

When Tifa woke up the next morning, she could hardly believe she'd done what she did. She sat there with her knees drawn up to her chest, watching the sun slowly peek above the horizon. The children were sound asleep, having played hard the previous night and Cloud lay beside her, his heavy breathing tell tale.

She bit her lip and hid her face in her crossed arms. "Cloud will never forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?"

Tifa jumped, "I thought you were still asleep."

"I was just laying here." He sat up, wrapping his arms around her. "So, what are you upset about now?"

"Last night…I let myself get carried away. I cheated on Cloud with you and I'm not proud of it."

"You're not with Cloud anymore, you're with me. You're mine."

Tifa shook her head, "I'm sorry to mislead you, but I shouldn't leave Cloud for you. He and I have been through too much together."

"And despite that, he never really made you happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"You do. When you talk about him, you show nothing but sadness."

Tifa closed her eyes and dropped her head back against her arms. She didn't want to argue. More so, she didn't want to risk admitting he was right. Cloud was the only man she'd ever had feelings for, the only man she'd ever made love to, and she was victim of the childish notion that he'd be the one she'd grow old with. But this new Cloud was making her see that perhaps she was wrong to think there was only one perfect mate. Last night, he made her forget about the old Cloud and made her feel things that the old Cloud never did.

"Cloud. Do you love me?"

He lifted her head with a finger beneath her chin and smiled softly, looking into her eyes. For someone her age, who has seen the things she'd seen and done the things she'd done, she was so innocent. And that was what he found so remarkable about her.

Lifting her hand, he ran his thumb over her ring, "More than I ever thought possible. Even if I return home, I will never forget you and I will love you until my dying breath."

"You don't mean that."

"Yes I do. I don't' know what's come over me since I've been here, but I know that I love you. I've never truly loved anyone before, not my parents, not Sephiroth, or Tiffan…But you changed that."

"I'm frightened, Cloud."

"Of what?"

"Of believing that I might love you too. What if Cloud comes back?"

"What if he doesn't? Let's just enjoy what time we have while we have it. Life is too short to worry anyway."

* * *

"Come on, you've gotta catch it!" Denzel said as he threw the ball again.

Cloud had never played ball before; his father was too busy playing around with women to worry about bonding with his son. But Cloud, trying to overcome his own demons, would not make that mistake with Denzel.

The only problem was that he was horrible at it. He kept dodging the ball instead of catching it.

"You're not very good at this are you?" Marlene said, fetching the ball.

"Well, considering my dad was absent," Cloud chose his words wisely, remembering the Cloud of this world had no father.

Denzel threw the ball again, and again Cloud jumped out of the way.

"You look like a dork." Marlene laughed, mimicking Cloud's flailing arms.

"Maybe it would be easier if you didn't throw so hard. You've got a hell of an arm, kid." Cloud tossed the ball back to them.

Tifa leaned against the doorframe, watching silently. She never expected this. Cloud had proclaimed more than once that he hated children and now he was playing with them.

"He really is trying." She sighed.

Returning inside, Tifa looked around the bar. For once in recent days, she was actually bored. With Cloud entertaining the children, she was able to do all her cleaning and preparations for business that night within only a couple of hours. That left the rest of the day wide open.

Going upstairs, Tifa contemplated taking a nap. But she didn't want to nap alone. Looking out the window, she actually wished Cloud would stop playing with the kids and come spend some time with her.

To her humor, Cloud was nailed in the gut by Marlene's iron serve. She watched him grab his stomach and crumple to the ground. Denzel and Marlene were laughing, but checked to see if he was okay. As they approached him, he rolled over and grabbed the nearest kid, dragging them to the ground and delivered a barrage of tickles.

Tifa's eyes softened all the more as she watched them wrestle on the ground, thoroughly enjoying rolling in the dirt. Usually she'd dread having to wash that laundry and getting the kids to bathe, but today she was just too happy to watch them have fun together. Even the old Cloud didn't play with the kids like this.

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile in the parallel world_**

Cloud stared at the sleeping beauty beside him. He couldn't believe how he felt about her. There was never a point in his life when he ever considered what Sephiroth might be like as a woman. He was left wondering what his life would have been like if that one thing had been different. Would all the pain and suffering in the world have been avoided if Sephiroth had just been a woman?

This Sephiroth was much like the male Sephiroth at first, but little by little, Cloud was able to peel back layer after cold, hard layer until he found her soft, warm heart. She was so much more than just a beautiful face; he felt that despite her rough exterior, she was a genuinely good person eager for love and affection just like any other woman.

"There is so much I want to share with you." He whispered, placing a kiss on the tip of her slender nose. "I want to take you to meet my family. I want to show you my home. I want to steal you away on a trip to Costa Del Sol for a romantic weekend. I want to rescue you from this terrible place..."

Her eyes fluttered open and she stifled a smile. "What else do you want?"

Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat; he hadn't expected her to hear everything he'd said. "I want to make you mine forever."

"I'm already yours for as long as you want me." She caressed his cheek and leaned into his chest. "You know what I don't want?"

"What?"

"I don't want to get out of bed again."

"Why?"

"Because making love to you is so much more fun than anything else."

"Aren't you tired yet?" Cloud yawned on cue, "I'm exhausted, not to mention hungry."

She let herself smile and she kissed the dip between his pecs. "I guess I can cook for you."

"That would be nice."

With a salacious grin, Sephiroth slid across him, making sure to press her mound against him as she did. Without bothering to dress, she sauntered toward the kitchen, instantly regretting her decision as she found Genesis entering her apartment.

Genesis paused, looking her up and down, taking in the appetizing sight of her body. It was the first time he'd ever seen her completely naked. His body reacted as one might imagine, the sweet pain of his swollen loins pressing into his uniform pants.

"What are you doing here?" Sephiroth snapped, looking back over her shoulder at the bedroom door.

"I didn't know I needed a reason to see my best friend." Genesis offered her the dignity of averting his gaze, though she didn't seem ashamed of her nudity.

"Well you do now." She put her hand out, "Give me your spare key. I don't want you to just walk in anymore."

"Whatever you desire, after all, I won't have any use for it for a while."

"What do you mean?" It was at that moment that Sephiroth realized Genesis was in his battle armor.

"I'm leaving. That's the real reason I stopped by. Due to the attack on Tiffan Lockheart's crew, I'm being sent to Wutai to attempt to smooth over the crisis before we have another war on our hands. Also, their bodies are being detained there; I must retrieve them so they can be returned to their families."

Sephiroth felt ill. Thinking of Tiffan sent a shiver across her bare flesh.

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She shook off the sensation, "Have a safe journey."

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

Genesis looked into her eyes, his heart beating to pieces in his chest. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I'll leave you alone now." He about-faced and slammed the door behind him as he left.

Sephiroth returned to the bedroom with nothing but Genesis's keycard in hand. Without a word to Cloud, she climbed back in bed and curled up beneath the sheets.

"What's the matter?" Cloud pulled the covers back from over her head.

"Genesis is leaving. He came to say goodbye…" She squeaked between gnashed teeth.

"Where's he going?"

"To bring Tiffan's body home."


	25. Chapter XXV: Silver Hair

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXV: Silver Hair**

Cloud watched as Tifa slid between tables, serving drinks and food as she did every night. Tonight he watched her with a smile, confident that he would end the night in her bed once again. He'd done everything right, everything he thought she wanted and the simple grin on her lips as she rinsed glasses told him so. She had a certain spring in her step that she hadn't had before and the customers noticed it too.

As the last visitor left for the evening, Tifa found herself humming a song. She drummed her fingers on the countertop as she hummed out the melody.

"What, are you playing the piano or something?" Cloud remarked, his sarcasm loud.

"As a matter of fact I happen to be an award winning pianist." She turned a cocky grin up to him as she turned to the dishes. "Growing up, my mom always wanted me to be some kind of artist; music was my art of choice. But my dad insisted I learned _martial_ arts."

"It's still an art."

"Yeah…so I learned both."

"Do you enjoy playing the piano?"

Tifa paused, a wistful look taking her eyes, "I haven't played in years. I doubt I remember how anymore."

"If you had the opportunity would you play again?"

"I would love to. But I don't think I should waste the money on a piano."

Cloud closed his eyes and nodded, considering what she meant. Musical instruments were expensive in his world, and he came from a time when people would spend tons of money on frivolous things. In this new world he'd entered, frivolity was a thing of the past. Music wasn't exactly a priority; the newest song they played on the radio was written and recorded 2 years ago, according to Tifa.

"It's a shame; I'd love to hear you play."

"Like I said, I doubt I can anymore." She put on another smile. Come on, let's go to bed."

"What about cleaning up?"

"It'll keep until the morning. I'm tired now."

Cloud followed her up the stairs, pausing with her in front of her door. "I'm surprised you're going to bed this early."

"Yeah, I do it every once in a while. Sometimes it's fun to be a little lazy."

"I guess so, if you consider this lazy." Cloud took a step back. "Well, goodnight."

Cloud turned around, Tifa grabbed his hand. "Wait."

"What is it?"

"I've been having kind of a hard time sleeping lately…Can you keep me company?"

Cloud's eyes widened with excitement, but he was careful not let himself look too eager. His body trembled and he fought to keep from pouncing on her.

"Uh, sure, yeah…if it's what you want."

"It is." She pulled him inside her room.

As Tifa began undressing right in front of him, Cloud began to panic. He wasn't exactly freaked out by her, but he hadn't expected it. She had absolutely no qualms with being naked with him.

"Aren't you gonna get undressed?" She asked, a cute smile playing at her lips.

"Oh yeah!" Cloud nearly ripped his clothes off as he watched her take off her panties.

Just he thought he was about to get lucky, his hormones came screeching to a halt as Tifa grabbed another pair of panties and slid them on. Following them, was her oversized nightshirt and a pair of shorts. She left Cloud literally standing there with his dick in his hand.

"Oh…Cloud…" Tifa blushed bright red, "Sorry if I made you think…"

"It's okay…it's okay." Cloud pulled his underwear back up and limped toward the bed. "My mistake."

"I'm sorry…I'm too tired for that right now."

"It's okay, really." He smiled, figuring he'd wait until she'd fallen asleep and then take care of it himself.

As they crawled under the sheets, Tifa rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. This was different. He didn't even cuddle with Tiffan like this unless he was getting some action. But Tifa was clearly tired – she fell asleep almost immediately as her head touched his chest – and he had absolutely no problem with it.

"I really feel like you're the one, Tifa. I've never felt like this about anybody before." He sighed into her silky hair. "I love you."

* * *

 **Meanwhile in the parallel universe**

Cloud stared at the strong cup of coffee before him. His head was in his hands and his brain was pulsing. Sephiroth paced around, chewing on her fingernails. Her skin was prickled with goosebumps and she shivered beneath her satin robe.

"Just tell me what's bothering you." Cloud urged, growing frustrated.

"Nothing's bothering me. I just don't want you to see Tiffan's remains."

"Why? It would be wrong of me not to pay my respects to him."

"Look, if you see his body, you might…You might want to leave me." She drew in a deep breath as she dropped into a dinning chair.

"Leave you?" Cloud leaned back, dropping his hands between his knees, "Why would seeing his body make me want to leave you?"

She paused to consider her words, "I'm afraid your old feelings for him will stir up and you'll decide you aren't so happy with me."

Cloud rubbed his forehead. Picking up his coffee, pondered her notion. He understood somewhat what she was trying to say, after all, that's what happened when Elmyra asked him to deliver flowers to Aerith's grave. He'd found happiness with Tifa, but the feelings for Aerith came flooding back when he made that fateful delivery. His stomach ached at the memory.

"Okay, I won't look at him."

"You won't?" Her entire body tensed.

"No."

"Thank you…" She breathed, relaxing into the chair.

"Come here." Cloud put his arms out to her, inviting her in.

She went to him, cuddling up beside him.

"It hurts me that you'd think I'd leave you. Justified, but still…" He caressed her hair and kissed her forehead.

"I'm just tired of being hurt."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I love you, Cloud."

"I love you too, Sephiroth."

* * *

When Genesis set foot on Wutai soil, he and his team were met by Wutai soldiers. They were heavily armored, ready for battle, aiming their halberds at them.

"I am General Genesis Rhapsodos of the Shinra Electric Power Company." He raised his hands to them, "I mean you no harm. I only wish to speak to your commander."

One of the warriors stepped forward, standing quietly at attention as he waited for Genesis to continue.

"Are you the commander?"

The soldier nodded, "I am."

"I gave you my name, can you at least do me the courtesy of yours?"

The commander remained silent.

"Right…" Genesis sighed, "I am here to retrieve the remains of the Shinra Soldiers struck down by your people."

"You dare to accuse our people of hostilities toward you?"

"They were killed in your territory."

"Yes, but we did not attack them. We'll not stand for this accusation."

"Let me retrieve the bodies. If it's true that you had nothing to do with their deaths, then you have nothing to worry about; we will be courteous and peaceful toward you."

The commander narrowed his eyes at him but stepped aside, allowing them to continue toward the village where the Mako reactor was being built.

Once in the village, the commander lead Genesis to the hospital morgue, where Tiffan and his men were being kept. Genesis patiently waited as the bodies were removed from the drawers and laid out on exam tables.

Some of them were whole, while others were missing limbs that were placed on the table beside them. Unlike the others, Tiffan was the only one that was decapitated. The wounds on his body were vicious, like someone attacked him out of pure hatred.

"We had nothing to do with this." The commander reiterated, motioning to a pair of bodies that Genesis did not recognize.

"They are not Shinra Soldiers."

"No, they were the detail that I sent to greet Lieutenant Lockheart at the beach."

"Do you think they took one another out?" One of the Soldiers said, glancing at the remains of the slaughtered Wutai.

"No." Genesis assessed the injuries on the Shinra Soldiers. "These wounds are not consistent with Wutai weapons. Only Shinra Soldiers use swords that would make these. Not to mention, dismemberment isn't exactly Wutai's style."

"So…they were killed by our own?"

"Were any witnesses to this massacre?"

"Only one."

The witness was a child, a young girl around 8 or 9 years old. She was shivering as she was brought into the morgue. She stared at the floor, afraid to look at the dead bodies on the tables. Genesis walked up to her, kneeling down to her level and smiling his friendliest smile.

"Hello there, my name is Genesis, what's your name?"

The girl was silent, but relaxed at she looked up into Genesis's handsome face. She seemed to relax as she took in his features, his clear blue eyes sparkling. "Yuffie." She murmured, offering a crooked smile.

"Yuffie, that's a cute name." Genesis took her trembling hand and held it tenderly, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Yuffie closed her eyes tightly, trying to remember exactly what she saw, the memory of the blood and the death circled through her mind and she snapped her eyes open to drown it out with another look in his eyes.

"When the Shinra Soldiers came, they met our men on the beach. They talked for a moment and were about to come to the village. But someone came out of the boat and they were all surprised. The leader of the Soldiers asked her why she was there, but she only attacked them. She would have got me too, but I hid in the trees."

"She?"

Yuffie nodded eagerly, "Yes, she killed them, a lady with long silver hair."


	26. Chapter XXVI: I am a Monster

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Sorry if this chapter is kind weird...I'm dead tired. LOL!**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXVI: I'm a Monster**

Genesis closed his eyes despairingly as he tapped on the door of Cloud's apartment.

"Please be here…please be alone…" He prayed under his breath. He knocked again.

Then the door opened. Cloud looked groggy and exhausted. Granted it was 2 AM…

"Genesis? You're back?" Cloud said.

"Yeah…" Suddenly Genesis was at a loss for words.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes, is Sephiroth here?"

"No, thank god. I'm finally getting some sleep, or I was until you knocked." Cloud narrowed his eyes, "What's happened?"

"Can I come in? It's about Tiffan."

A lump formed in Cloud's throat as he allowed him inside.

"Do you want anything?" Cloud yawned, trying to be a good host.

"No." Genesis felt sick to his stomach. "Listen, Tiffan wasn't just killed. He was murdered."

"What?" Cloud was suddenly wide away. "What do you mean, murdered?"

"I mean just that. He was intentionally targeted and killed. Or rather executed."

"Executed…"

"The other Soldiers and two Wutai warriors were cut down in a skirmish. But a child witnessed the assailant force Tiffan, and only Tiffan, to his knees and behead him."

Cloud staggered toward the wall, his stomach doing somersaults. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve to know and because you and I both have a personal connection to the killer."

"Who is it?" Cloud didn't want to hear the answer; a small voice in his head told him who it was. His heart throbbed heavier and heavier…

"Sephiroth." It broke Genesis's heart to say it.

Despite foreseeing the answer, Cloud whipped around, "You have no proof of that!"

"But I do. I have a witness –"

"A child."

"Sephiroth is the only Soldier who can single handedly take down twelve armed men at once. She is also the only Soldier to carry the weapon used for the crime. You know as well as I do, all Soldiers use standard issue broad swords. Except three. Sephiroth, Angeal, and I. Angeal's sword is too large and too heavy to create such precise cuts, and my sword would have cauterized them instantly. Sephiroth's is the only sword sharp enough and she's the only one quick enough."

"How could she have done it and why?"

"She was absent for two days while you were holed up in your apartment, waiting for Tiffan to call you. I assume that call never came."

"No it didn't."

"Sephiroth told me she was going to visit a friend. I thought it was strange, considering Sephiroth has no friends other than you and I."

"And Angeal."

"He's estranged from us…At any rate, I doubt I need to mention a motive."

"I'm the reason." Cloud went completely numb, no emotion rolled through him at all.

"Precisely. She wanted Tiffan out of the way."

Cloud's headache returned. "What's going to happen?"

"Sephiroth will be arrested and court-martialed." Genesis turned toward the door. "I will try to get her to confess. If she turns herself in then there will be no need for trial and there will be less a chance this will go public."

"What if she attacks you too."

Genesis sighed heavily, "Hopefully she'll kill me too. Then I won't have to watch the woman I love be humiliated before the world."

"So you do love her."

"Of course I do. She means everything to me. And all I've ever wanted, ever since I was a boy, was to see her happy."

"Is there a way around this?"

"No. There is no escaping her fate."

Genesis left Cloud to his thoughts. Dragging himself toward Sephiroth's apartment, he stood before her door. He wanted to knock, but as he lifted his hand, he found himself unable to follow through.

"Here." Cloud lifted the keycard to his view. "She gave it to me after you left. I don't need it anymore."

"What?"

"She'd been acting strangely since Tiffan's death. Now I understand why. It makes sense, though I'm not sure I want to believe it. But if she did kill him, then I can't be with her any longer."

Genesis took the card. "If that's true, then you don't really love her."

Cloud's heart hurt like nothing else. "You remember me telling you, that I'm from another world?"

"Yeah."

"Well in my world, Sephiroth is a man. Or he was a man until he became a monster. He murdered a woman I was in love with, and since that day he's been my mortal enemy. And now that I know that she has done the same thing…It's only my love for her that's keeping me from busting down that door and taking my revenge." His hand trembled as he said those words.

"My love for Sephiroth is unconditional. There is nothing she can do that will make me leave her. Not even murder."

"Well, then you're stronger than me. So let's hear it from her lips."

Genesis swiped the card and pushed open the door.

The pair walked silently through the dark toward her room. Their breathing was rapid, their hearts pounding so hard they feared one another might hear. Once inside, they found Sephiroth asleep, the covers tucked up under chin like a child.

"She looks so beautiful…" Genesis whispered, approaching her.

"She looks innocent." Cloud said, not wanting to believe she was capable of it. But of course she was. She was Sephiroth, the only difference was that she was a woman. And women are vicious.

"Sephiroth…" Genesis stroked her cheek.

Her gleaming eyes fluttered open, and she jumped back when she saw Genesis beside her. Her gaze drifted to Cloud who stood several feet away, watching.

"What's going on here?" Sephiroth clutched the sheets over her to shield her nakedness from their view.

"We're here because –" Genesis began but was cut off when Cloud finally found some emotion.

"Did you murder Tiffan?" Anger. Cloud finally felt angry.

Sephiroth stared at them, her eyes wide.

"I…"

"Tell the truth!" Cloud screamed, leaping on the bed and grabbing her by the hair. Genesis reached for them, but Cloud swatted him away. "Fucking tell me, you bitch!" That evil, alien feeling drifted over him once again and he yanked her hair, forcing her head ajar.

"Cloud stop!" Genesis hooked his hands under Cloud's arms, forcing him back from her.

Once she was free, Sephiroth leaped back on the opposite side of the bed. She stood up dropping the sheets to the floor and looked directly into Cloud's eyes.

"Yes. I killed him."

"Why?"

"Because it was the only way. You said it yourself; it took him dying to see that you loved me."

"That was until I knew it was you who killed him. I don't love you anymore, you monster."

"I knew it…" Sephiroth slumped over the side of the bed. "Aeron was right, I am a monster."

"Don't fucking cry." Cloud trembled, shaking Genesis off of him , "I can't believe you thought I would want you after this. I can't believe I touched you. Right now, I'm fighting everything in me to keep from killing you myself. But that would only bring me down to your level."

Cloud turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Sephiroth shrieked.

"Home."

Genesis turned to Sephiroth. There was no more light her eyes, her face was as grey as her hair and her chest was heaving, trying to capture a breath.

"Are you ashamed of what you've done?"

"Of course I am. Every day I think about what I've done. I can't sleep without seeing Tiffan's pleading gaze…If I could undo it, I would. I don't know what came over me, it's like I wasn't in control of my body."

He sighed, "Then you're not a monster. Monsters have no conscience. No guilt."

"I love him, Genesis." She grabbed her robe.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get him back."

* * *

Cloud raced down to the laboratory. As he hoped, the scientists were awake and hard at work, doing what they do. There had to be one of them who knew something about materia. Someone had to be able to send him back home.

"Can I help you?" A young woman in a white lab coat met him at the door.

"I need to talk to someone who specializes in materia." Cloud said, his gut twisting.

"What sort of materia?"

"Interdimensional time travel."

The girl's eyes few open wide. "Come again?"

"I need a materia for interdimensional time travel."

"You're joking right? That materia doesn't exist."

"I wouldn't say that." A woman said as she approached from her work station.

"Dr. Crescent…" The girl took a step back, letting Lucretia approach.

"Dr. Crescent? You're Sephiroth's mother?"

"I suppose you could say I'm something like a mother." She looked Cloud up and down. "Now you are one gorgeous Soldier, I can see why Sephiroth likes you."

Cloud gnashed his teeth together, "Look, I need a materia to send me home. I have to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Of course you do." Lucretia rolled her eyes and smiled at her assistant. "Come with me. Tell me about this materia you want?"

"I need a materia for interdimensional time travel. I used one to get here and I need one to go home."

"You're from another dimension?"

"Something like that…Look, it's a long story and I kind of need you to believe me."

"I believe you."

"You do?" Cloud halted.

"Yes. After all, I'm developing one right now. It's in the experimental phase, I'll be needing a guinea pig if you care to try it?"

"Are you serious, you're actually making what I need?" It was too good to be true, there was no way.

"I'm dead serious. In fact I've been preparing it since you arrived here."

"I don't understand."

"I know you're from another world. I know all my Soldiers and you are not one of them. I heard your story from Genesis no less and he assured me you were telling the truth."

"Genesis told you?"

"And that was when I started making it. I was afraid my spirited daughter would fall in love with you, after all that other Cloud got her pregnant, it would be horrible if you did too."

"Cut the crap, just send me home."

"I will but you'll have to deal her first." Lucretia motioned behind Cloud.

Cloud turned around, his nerves spiking as he found Sephiroth and Genesis standing there.

"So it's true…" Sephiroth gasped.

"Yeah, I'm not the guy you think I am. I have a family I need to go home to."

"No , you can't. You can't just leave me."

"You murdered my friend, I'm pretty sure I can!" He turned back to Lucretia, "Show me the materia."

"Here it is." She opened a cabinet, revealing a golden ball suspended in a shatterproof glass container. Entering a combination, she opened the container and gingerly handed Cloud the materia. "It is still in the preliminary stages, so don't blame me if it goes wrong."

"I won't." Cloud was a little too eager and perhaps stupid for even considering trying it.

Sephiroth screamed as Cloud clasped both hands around the materia, closing his eyes. As he thought about where and when he wanted to be, Sephiroth lunged forward, grabbing him around the waist. Genesis went after her, trying to pull her off as a swirling black portal opened up above them and instantly engulfed all three of them.


	27. Chapter XXVII: Back and Forth

**I do now own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXVII: Back and Forth**

Tifa and Cloud were just about to turn in for the night when there was a rush of hot and cold air, a flash of light, and three figures slammed down in the middle of the bar. They broke a table and a chair as they landed, sending the pieces flying across the room.

Cloud jumped in to protect Tifa from getting hit and from whomever it was that intruded into their home. His heart sank and his stomach knotted when he saw the three of them groaning and clutching their heads. But how did this happen?

"What happened?" Tifa peeked around Cloud's shoulder, but he tried to keep her from seeing. Frustrated, Tifa pushed him aside. She hadn't expected what lay before her. "Cloud?"

The Cloud on the floor looked up at her, at first his face brightened, but his mood dimmed when he saw the other Cloud standing with his arm around Tifa.

 _Did I make it home, or am I in another parallel world?_

On shaky, pained legs, Cloud stood, dusting himself off. He looked at the pair again, trying to figure out what he was seeing. If this had been his world, then the other Cloud should have swapped places with him again…Shouldn't he?

"Hello…" He said, for lack of anything else to say.

"Hello?" Tifa said, trying to figure out what was happening. "Cloud…is that you?"

"I think so," Cloud stepped toward her, but his eye was on the imposter beside her.

"I hoped you wouldn't show up," the other Cloud said honestly.

Ignoring him, Tifa ran for Cloud, wrapped her arms around him. Yes, this was her Cloud. He felt the same, smelled the same…

"Cloud, I missed you."

"I missed you too."

The other Cloud hissed, "Get off my girl!" He yanked Tifa back from him, forcing her behind him.

" _Your_ girl? Tifa's mine!"

"Who do you think you are?" The other Cloud grabbed him by the collar. He was bigger than him, taller than him, but he still managed to lift him an inch from the floor.

"I'm Cloud Strife and I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Stop!" Tifa shoved herself between them, forcing the other Cloud to drop him. "Just stop it please! Now…Who is _that?_ " She pointed to silver haired vixen laying there in nothing but her bathrobe.

Tifa tried not to let her nerves show, but her hands trembled. She swallowed hard and waited as patiently as possible for an answer.

"Oh that's…" Cloud couldn't finish.

"That's Sephiroth. The Sephiroth of my world, at least." The other Cloud said, scratching the back of his head. "I really hoped I'd never have to see her again."

Genesis was the first to his feet, he helped Sephiroth up, the two of them glancing back and forth between the Clouds as they tried to gather their senses.

"Where are we?" Genesis said.

"This is my home." Cloud answered, doing his best not to look at Sephiroth.

"Your home?" Sephiroth looked around at the bar. She winced; despite the cleanliness of the place, to her it looked like a dump. "You live in a bar?"

"We live above the bar." Cloud clarified, taking a step closer to Tifa.

"We?" Sephiroth glanced up at him before her eyes fell on Tifa. Her chest felt pinched as she looked at her. "You must be Tifa." Her gut twisted _. She's a lot prettier than I thought she would be._

"Yeah…Cloud told you about me?" _Oh my god…She's beautiful! So she's the one he was talking about…The 'freak between the sheets'._

"Yes. He told me more than I care to know."

"Like what?"

"How much he adores you." She lowered her head, "You know, he told me he loved me more though."

"What?" Tifa's body began to ache.

"Sephiroth…" Genesis warned, "Don't do this."

But Sephiroth ignored him, "The two of us are in love. When he thought he would never come back home, he was quick to jump in bed with me."

Tifa looked up at Cloud for the truth. A part of her was hurting and angry, but a trace of guilt hung in her mind as she thought of having done the same with the other Cloud.

"Cloud, is that true? Are you and her really…"

Cloud hung his head, thoroughly ashamed of himself. "There's more to it than that."

Tifa gasped a labored breath, "But it is true then. Well fine…I got tired of waiting for you to come back so I'm with _him_ now." She backed up until she was beside the other Cloud.

"But Cloud is no longer with Sephiroth." Genesis piped in, hoping to stop this petty battle before it escalated. "He has stated in front of me that he doesn't love her anymore."

Tifa's brow furrowed, she waited for an explanation.

"Sephiroth murdered someone." Cloud said simply.

"No shit." Tifa spat. "The Sephiroth of our world is evil, what the hell did you expect?"

"I thought that because I'm different from the Cloud of that world, she was different too." He looked directly into Sephiroth's eyes, "But now I know that the only thing different about her is that she's a woman. She's still the same wicked Sephiroth and I'm humiliated to have let myself be fooled by her."

"You told me you loved me and you wanted me to yours forever." Sephiroth's lips quivered.

"That was until I found out you murdered Tiffan! And by the way, you said you were mine for as long as I wanted you. Well I don't want you anymore, I want Tifa!"

"Wait…" The other Cloud stepped forward, "You murdered Tiffan?"

Sephiroth's entire body tensed up. "Yes, I killed him."

"Why?"

"Because he was in my way! I thought Cloud was you and I wanted you so badly I had to kill Tiffan to get him to see it!"

"You bitch…" The other Cloud felt like all the air had been knocked from his lungs. "You fucking, psychotic bitch..."

"You hated him anyway, everyone knows you beat him and slept around with other people including me!"

"But I didn't want him dead!"

"Stop!" Genesis grabbed Sephiroth by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Face it, Sephiroth. What you did was wrong. There's no turning back from what's been done and now we all have to deal with the consequences. Because of what you did, neither one of these men are going to love you. They love _her_ , and that's something you have to understand."

"But why?" For a moment, she seemed as innocent as a child, genuinely not understanding what he was trying to tell her.

"Because you are a terrible human being."

"But I'm not a human being. I'm an alien."

"Exactly. They don't want you…But I do. After all, I'm not too good at being human either."

"Tell her the whole truth," Cloud insisted, knowing it was time.

"What's the whole truth?" Sephiroth's eyes watered.

"That despite what you've done, I love you." It felt good to say it out loud to her, "I love you, Sephiroth. I love everything about you. I even love the fact that you're a psycho-bitch. You wouldn't be you otherwise."

"Genesis…" She didn't know how to respond to that.

"What happens now?" Tifa whispered, looking up at Cloud.

"We need to settle this. First, Genesis needs to take Sephiroth back to face punishment."

"We can't; the materia only works once. We're stranded here." Genesis said, a look of relief glazing his face. "So, if you think about it, despite what happened at home, here she's completely innocent."

"She's not innocent."

"But there is no crime here. In this world, Tiffan doesn't exist, only Tifa does. And she's perfectly fine." Genesis sighed, like he was finally able to catch his breath.

"So she gets off scot-free?" The other Cloud said, his chest heaving.

"Yes. And if you seek revenge, you have to get through me first." Genesis stepped in front of Sephiroth, shielding her with his body.

"I've had enough." Cloud gasped, "I've had enough of this back and forth. I'm tired. Let's go to bed."

"You're just gonna drop it there?" Tifa scoffed, "I want more answers, I want to know why you cheated on me with her."

"The same reason why you cheated too."

"At least I did it with your counterpart."

"Well your counterpart was a guy, so…"

"So it just had to be _Sephiroth?_ Of all people in that world, she was the only one you wanted?"

Cloud just shook his head; he had no answer that was good enough for her. No excuse for betraying her. At least Tifa had the excuse that she didn't know the other Cloud was an imposter.

"I thought I was falling in love with her. And I did, actually. But I can't see past what she did. Because her killing Tiffan as the same as if she killed you. Because despite whatever feelings I had for her, I still love you."

"She's mine now. You lose, fucker." The other Cloud snorted.

"Shut the hell up, little boy." Cloud snarled, "I'm gonna deal with your ass in the morning."

* * *

"It was nice of Tifa to let us sleep in the spare room." Genesis tried to make light of situation, "I'll let you have the bed and I can sleep on the floor."

"Do you really love me?" Sephiroth blurted out, her back to him as she sat on the bed.

Removing his coat, Genesis knelt behind her. "I thought after all this time that would have been obvious."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't expect you to return my feelings. Just know that I'm here for you…always."

"No…I'm sorry that I didn't realize it sooner. Even Cloud knew and I didn't believe him."

"I know he did. Anyway there's nothing to apologize for."

"Is there really nothing I can do to make you stop loving me?"

"Nothing at all. You can even kill me and I will go into the Lifestream still loving you."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "That really is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I mean it with all my soul. I will do anything for you, and I do mean anything."

"Anything?"

"Name it."


	28. Chapter XXVIII: Home Sweet Hell

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXVIII: Home Sweet Hell**

Tifa climbed into bed alone. She had forced both Clouds out, making them come up with their own sleeping arrangement. The last thing she needed to was be accused of playing favorites and thought it best not to have either one of them sleep with her that night.

Tossing from side to side, she kept turning her pillow and adjusting the sheets, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. She hated sleeping alone, it was too difficult. Even before she and Cloud got serious, she couldn't stand being alone at night.

It was a king size bed. There was plenty of room for the three of them…

 _No, no no! Absolutely not._

But it would allow her to sleep. Would they agree to share the bed though?

Sitting up, Tifa seriously considered seeking them out and taking them both to bed with her. Was that a good idea?

 _I'm not getting any sleep otherwise._

Throwing back the covers, she went out to the hall. The first place she checked was Cloud's office, no doubt the original Cloud was rolling around on his cot, in the same predicament as she was. He answered when she knocked.

"Tifa…" He looked her up and down, his heart leaping to life. "I'm so sorry for everything. I –"

She placed a finger on his lips to hush him. "Come on." Grabbing his hand, she pulled his along behind her. "Where is Cloud?"

"He's asleep on the couch."

Waking him up, Tifa took them both back to her room.

"Tifa, what are you doing?" The other Cloud said.

"I can't sleep." She paced around in front of them. "I hate sleeping alone. You both know that."

"Okay?"

"I didn't want either of you to think that I preferred one over the other, that's why I made you go elsewhere. But I need you." She looked both of them in the eyes. "And if I can't choose one, I choose both."

"What?" Cloud glanced at the other Cloud then back to Tifa.

"I want you both to sleep with me tonight. We'll figure out something else tomorrow, but I need this comfort right now." Tifa climbed into the center of the bed, patting the spaces beside her. "Come on, we haven't all night."

Despite both Clouds being exactly where they wanted to be, neither of them could sleep. They each wanted to be alone with her. Tifa, thankfully, had fallen asleep almost immediately after she found a comfortable position with her head on Cloud's chest and her back cradled against the other Cloud. They both tried to pretend they weren't sharing her, but when one heard the other make even a single sound, they snapped out of it.

"I hate you." Cloud murmured through the dark.

"Oh, fuck off, I am you." The other Cloud snarled.

"Okay that, that right there that's why I can't stand you. Do you realize how hard it is to live your life?"

"Do you realize how hard it is to live yours? The only thing not boring about your existence is this sweet piece of ass right here."

"Don't call her a 'sweet piece of ass'. She has a name."

"Whatever, she's still hot as fuck. I can't believe you cheated on her."

"That's rich coming from someone like you. Apparently you cheated on Tiffan all the time."

"Don't talk about him. He was mine, not yours."

"And yet you treated him like he didn't matter. He loved you and you did nothing but abuse him."

"Shut up." The other Cloud knew he was right, but hated that he pointed it out.

"How did you really feel about him?"

"What's it to you?"

"Look, Tiffan was my friend and after I convinced him I wasn't you, he stayed loyal to us. His memory deserves the respect of your true feelings."

"I…" The other Cloud sighed heavily, snuggling into Tifa's hair. "When we were kids he had a crush on me. He was always trailing after me and my friends, but was never really part of the group. It wasn't until we were older that he confessed what he felt for me. I didn't really feel the same way but I felt obligated to let him in. So I agreed to be his boyfriend. I didn't love him and I wish I never had a romantic or sexual relationship with him. If I didn't, he'd still be alive."

"So you blame yourself for his death?"

"Yes."

"Well that makes two of us. I tried to convince Sephiroth that I wasn't you, but she was steadfast in believing otherwise. I tried so hard not to fall under her spell and I told her I was in a relationship with Tifa. She connected Tifa with Tiffan and thought they were one and the same. So she killed him to get to me."

The other Cloud closed his eyes and staved off a snivel. "Sometimes, when Tifa and I are cuddling like this, I think she's him."

"I did the same thing with Tiffan."

"I guess we're not that much different after all."

"I guess not. Now what to do about Tifa? I'm not giving her to you."

"Well I'm not giving her to _you_." The other Cloud's lip curled up in a devilish grin, "We could just share her."

"What?"

"If there's one thing I enjoy it's a good old fashioned three way."

"No. No way."

"Oh come on."

"I'm not having sex with the both of you."

"Considering we're both basically the same person, it would be like masturbating."

"You're screwed the head, you know that?"

"Perhaps."

"I'm not agreeing to that. Besides, we'd need Tifa's approval and I'm not sure she'd go for it either."

"Why not? We're halfway there by sharing a bed in the first place."

 _He's not wrong._

* * *

"Anything?"

"Name it."

"Swear to me you'll never leave me. No matter what I do or say."

Genesis came around in front of Sephiroth. Kneeling before her, he looked directly into her eyes. "I swear on my honor as Soldier and on my very soul, I will never leave you."

Sephiroth closed her eyes, wiping away the tears that leaked down her cheeks. "I wish I felt for you the way you feel for me. Because then I wouldn't know such pain. You can give me anything I want; you are everything I need…"

"Give it time. Now that you know how I feel, maybe you can make room in your heart for me later."

"For now, can you settle for room in my bed?"

"What?"

"I don't want you to sleep on the floor. The bed is big enough for the both of us."

"Oh." Genesis was at once relieved and somewhat disappointed. "Er, if that's what you want."

She nodded, a sheepish grin tugging at her lips. "I hope you don't mind if I take this off." She dropped her robe, exposing all of her to him.

At that moment, Genesis wished his leather pants weren't so tight. If she only glanced down she'd see how she affected him. It was even more apparent when he pulled them down, turning around as he did.

"Well considering the circumstances…I have to sleep naked too." Genesis gulped, realizing that while they had a bed to use, Tifa hadn't bothered to supply nightclothes too. After all, why should she? They were uninvited and unwelcome in her house.

"I guess it's alright." She slid between the sheets, drawing them up under her chin.

"Good." Genesis turned off the light, sliding in beside her, doing his best not to touch her bare skin with his own.

Sephiroth giggled.

"What's funny."

"You. You're acting like a virgin on his wedding night."

Genesis blushed, grateful for the dark. "I am a virgin."

"Really?" Sephiroth bit her lip.

"Yes. I've only watched…I've never actually done anything."

"Why?"

"Because the only one I've ever wanted was you."

"How come you never told me?"

"Because by the time I gathered my nerve, it was too late. Aeron had started courting you and you seemed like you were happy with him. So I backed off. And when he left you, I wanted to give you some time to breathe, and then Cloud invaded you. I never told you because I never had a chance to until now."

"Oh…" Sephiroth rolled onto her side, facing him. She let her eyes adjust until she could clearly see his outline. "You know, you have a chance now."

"What?"

"We're both alone and we're both naked. This is your chance to do whatever you want to me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to take advantage of you. You are too easy when your heart is broken. Let it heal, and if you develop feelings for me, then I will have you."

"That's the nicest rejection ever." She smiled, rolling over so her back was to him.

"It's not rejection, it's respect."

* * *

When Tifa woke up, she was alone. Her body ached and she felt like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong with me right now?" She shook off the bad feeling and went down stairs, following the smell of breakfast cooking.

"There you are." Cloud met her at the doorway.

"What's going on?"

"Cloud and I talked last night and we decided to have a duel."

"A duel?" Tifa dropped into the nearest booth and rested her head on the cold surface of the table.

"You know, to see who gets to keep you."The other Cloud said as he placed a plate of eggs before her.

"Keep me…" She murmured, feeling hellaciously hung over. That's what happens when her sleep is messed up. "Okay."

"Wow, you're actually okay with that?"

"No, but if it helps you decide who's dick is bigger go ahead."

The other Cloud cracked a huge, toothy grin. "Damn girl, you are not in a good mood are you?"

"What gave you the first clue?"

"Come on, Tifa." Cloud petted her hair, "We're trying to sort this out in a half way civilized manner. It's the best we can come up with."

"Whatever you want to do." She looked around, finding the kids backpacks were gone from the hooks on the wall. "Did the kids see the both of you?"

"No, I hid upstairs until they left for school." Cloud said.

"Oh good…I can't deal with that right now."

"We'll handle it tonight. For now, I think you should go back to bed."

Sephiroth and Genesis walked in just as Tifa was about to head back upstairs. Her stomach twisted when she saw the glamorous Sephiroth in nothing but her very skimpy bathrobe. It couldn't be more obvious that she was naked underneath.

"Come with me, Sephiroth." Tifa sighed, showing her to her bedroom.

Once inside, Tifa went to the closet, finding the most unflattering and modest thing she had to wear. A pair of jeans and a t-shirt was perfect for Sephiroth, who accepted them without complaint.

"Thank you for the clothes." Sephiroth said as she tied her tennis shoes, surprised that she and Tifa both wore the same size.

"I couldn't have you wearing that bathrobe in front of Cloud." Tifa said honestly, doing her best to maintain her composure.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble."

"You've made the last few hours a living hell for me." Tifa said, unable to look at her beautiful rival. She couldn't stand the thought that Cloud had slept with her and even went so far as to say he loved her.

"I didn't mean to."

"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not."

"It hasn't been good for me either. I've been proven wrong in ways that I can't handle. I have never been wrong once in my life. And when my husband left me I went on a downward spiral of poor decisions."

"Your husband?"

"I was married. But my husband decided he couldn't be with an inhuman laboratory freak. Cloud was the first person to know my secret and treat me like a person."

"What about Genesis?"

"He and I are the same. He was made in a lab just like me. We were actually meant for one another. My mother wanted us to breed. But I never wanted him; I never loved him like I should have."

Tifa gulped. She never would have guessed this female Sephiroth would have that kind of baggage.

"In fact, I'm jealous of you, Tifa."

"Of me?"

"You've got Cloud's heart. You are the light of his life and he loves you in ways that I will never know."

"Don't be too jealous of me. I've got a lot of problems of my own."

* * *

 **I got two comments and whole lot of PMs about a CloudxTifaxCloud threesome...So one more show of hands, who actually wants it?**


	29. Chapter XXIX: Admitting Defeat

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXIX: Admitting Defeat**

There was an awkward silence surrounding the quintet as they attempted another go at having breakfast.

Tifa was the source of much of the tension as her mind was flooding with images of Sephiroth and Cloud together. Her heart was pounding so heavily she feared it would be heard, her breath was heaving, and her skin was tingling. She couldn't believe he actually slept with her, let alone tell her he loved her. It was disgusting to think about and she feared she'd never be able to trust him again.

Sephiroth looked Tifa up and down, trying to figure out what it was about her that the Clouds loved so much. She was pretty but she didn't stand out for it. There had to be something else, something deeper than flesh. And that made Sephiroth's chest tighten; if it wasn't her looks, then this girl had to have a personality to beat all others. A personality that was better than hers.

Genesis watched Sephiroth and knew exactly what she was doing. He wished she would just give it up and admit her defeat. Tifa had won and the now the battle was to decide which Cloud would prevail. Sephiroth was at rock bottom and he wanted nothing more than to be the one to lift her up again. The only problem was that she resisted taking his hand.

Cloud glanced back and forth between the women. A part of him had genuinely loved Sephiroth when they were together in the other world, but being home again and seeing Tifa reminded him of everything he already had. He needed Tifa, she'd been his anchor in the hardest of times and she'd been his light in the darkest of times. They had been through too much together to just let her go.

The other Cloud reached beneath the table and took Tifa's hand. He wanted to hold her and comfort her and tell her it would be alright. But he didn't want to upset anyone any more than they already were. It was already enough that he had to sit across from Sephiroth, a woman he'd used and emotionally abused, who had murdered his closest friend for him.

"This is good." Genesis said, his voice tearing through the air. "Who cooked?"

"I did." The other Cloud said, "Tifa and the kids taught me."

"Kids?" Genesis inquired, looking to Tifa for an explanation.

"I take care of my friend's daughter and Cloud and I have a son together." Tifa said, hoping to stab Sephiroth in the chest.

"A son?" Sephiroth felt the jab. Cloud never mentioned it.

"He's adopted." Cloud clarified.

A look of relief passed over Sephiroth's face and she leaned forward resting her elbows on the table. "Since you brought up kids, there's something I need to get off my chest." She looked the other Cloud in the eyes, "You and I had a child together too."

The other Cloud nearly shot his milk through his nose. "What?" He coughed.

"I was pregnant with your child." She said, "But my mother had other plans. Don't worry."

"So it's…"

"Gone." Sephiroth drew in a deep breath.

"Whoa…" The other Cloud dropped his forehead in his hand and released a heavy breath through his mouth, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I should have said no when I had the chance. It's my fault just as much as it is yours. In fact, if I'd just been strong enough to say no then none of this would've happened."

"I shouldn't have been such an asshole." The other Cloud looked at Tifa and felt the need to apologize to her as well, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Tifa clutched his hand beneath the table.

"For everything."

"The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem." Cloud jeered.

"Fuck off, Limp-dick!" This earned a breathy chuckle from everyone.

* * *

After breakfast, Genesis offered his help in cleaning up to the other Cloud while Tifa approached the original Cloud as he was about to head upstairs.

"Cloud, can I talk to you. In private?"

"Yeah."

He led her into her bedroom and stood there quietly as she took a seat on her bed. Gathering her hair over her shoulder, she twisted it in her hands while she gathered the nerve to ask him what she need to.

"Why did you do go?" She said, barely above a whisper.

"When I found a way to go back in time, I thought I could stop all our pain and suffering from ever happening. I thought that if I eliminated the root of the problem then it would all be avoided. I thought I could bring everyone back to life."

"And when you things didn't go as you hoped…why did you do it? With her?"

"Sephiroth, you mean?"

She dropped her head, closing her eyes. "The truth."

"The truth is that I did it first time because I thought she was beautiful."

"That's it?" She snapped her head up, "You betrayed me because she looked good to you?"

"Yeah."

Tifa felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. "..Wha…H-how many more times were you with her?"

Cloud clammed up, unable to answer. He just looked away from her, clenching his fists as he fought off the urge to even offer up a number.

"I see…" She said. "Well I was only with Cloud twice. Once because I thought he was you…Do you love her?"

"I think I did. A part of me was being influenced by that world, I was becoming something that wasn't me. I was becoming _him_. And the longer I stayed, the more I forgot about this world."

"And the longer he remained here, the more he became you. That's why I made love to him the second time."

"Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know, Cloud. I want to, but I don't know if I can. And me? Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong."

Sephiroth sat outside the door, listening to the conversation. She drew her knees up to her chest and cried silently. Her body shook and her throat tightened as the tears ran down her face, but no sound escaped her lips.

"What's wrong?" Genesis asked as he came up the stairs.

"He loves her…" Sephiroth sobbed, her voice barely audible. "It's so terrible how much…"

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping."

"I had to know what she wanted to say to him. I have to know why he wants her over me."

"I already told you why. It's because of what you've done."

"But I…"

"Get up." Genesis scooped her up from the floor. "Come on, Cloud gave me the name a guy who rents rooms…We shouldn't stay here anymore."

* * *

With the money he had in his pocket, Genesis was able to pay three months worth of rent to the landlord, but he knew he needed work. The elderly landlord noticed he looked strong and Genesis showed that he could lift a great amount of weight, so he offered him a gig doing odd jobs around the tenements. More than happy for the opportunity, Genesis agreed to come when summoned.

"It's not home, but it's not too bad." He said, seeing great promise as he glanced around the room. It was just right for two people, fully furnished with a couch and end tables, a king sized bed, a bistro dining table, and even a television which the landlord charged no extra for.

Sephiroth, heartbroken and depressed, saw nothing but a rundown efficiency, with creaky floors, a water stain on the ceiling and peeling paint on the walls. The television and kitchenette appliances looked old and heavily used. The couch had spots so threadbare she could see the stuffing. The heavily stained mattress wasn't much better.

"You actually paid for this place?"

Genesis frowned. "Look, I know it's not the luxury apartments we enjoy at Shinra. But we can make it our own. Just think, we can make our own lives here, Sephiroth."

"You're thinking about staying here. Permanently."

"Why not? Unless there just happens to be some genius scientist next door that can make us a new materia, then we're pretty much screwed anyway. So let's make the best of it." He took her hands and pulled her down to the couch. "This place is run down because the landlord is too old to keep it up by himself. So I'm gonna help him. And I'll start with giving our unit a fresh coat of paint."

"That's great, you've already got a purpose…What about me?"

"This is your chance to have what you said you wanted."

"What?"

"To be a wife and a mother."

"But I can't be."

"There's no one here to take that from you."

"That's not what I meant. Whose wife am I supposed to be? Whose children am I supposed to have?" She dropped her gaze to their clasped hands and she shook her head.

Genesis closed his eyes and dropped her hands, "Sorry…I do my best for you but you deny me what I want most of all."

"It's hard when I don't feel the same way."

* * *

Cloud's throat tightened when he waited for the children to run in from school. Watching the clock, he knew they'd be coming any moment.

3…2…1

The door busted open and two smiling faces came charging inside, throwing backpacks into the corner and running straight for the other Cloud with arms wide open. Cloud stood back behind the bar watching with a heavy heart as they hugged and kissed his counterpart, not knowing the horrible truth.

They chattered about their day until Marlene noticed the man in the corner.

"Cloud? Who is that?" She looked back and forth between the Clouds, trying to figure out why she saw double.

Denzel looked up and his eyes lit up, "Cloud…" He breathed. But it wasn't a breath of disbelief or confusion, but rather relief.

Slowly approaching him, he looked him up and down. There was no mistaking him, this was the Cloud he'd come to love. He always knew there was something off about the other Cloud but never wanted to voice or accept that something was wrong. But now he knew, without a doubt that the other Cloud was not his Cloud.

"Cloud," he repeated, throwing his arms around his waist, "I'm so glad your home."

Cloud took him close, squeezing him tightly. "Me too, Denzel."

"What's going on?" Marlene tugged on the other Cloud's arm.

The other Cloud knelt down to Marlene's level and heaved a heavy sigh. Marlene, the reason I've been acting so weird is because I'm not the real Cloud."

"What?"

"Well, I'm really named Cloud Strife, but I'm not from here. I'm from another world. Somehow, Cloud and I swapped places."

"Why did you lie then?"

"Tifa didn't want to alarm either of you, so she wanted me to pretend to be your Cloud until she figured out what to do."

"So all this time…" She looked into his eyes, "My daddy has a problem with his hand. What is it?"

"Err…Arthritis?"

Marlene ran to the real Cloud, "Same question. What's wrong with my daddy's hand?"

"Barret's hand has a prosthetic that turns into a gun."

"You _are_ Cloud!" Marlene jumped up and down before latching onto him.

"C'mon, kid, Tifa forgot to fill me in on everyone else. Though it would've been nice to know."

"Sorry about that." Tifa said as she entered the room. "I hoped you wouldn't be staying that long."

"Yeah," He said, breathing in deeply. "At least now I can stop pretending."

"You were lousy at it anyway." Denzel said. "We were suspicious from day one!"

"Sure you were kid."


	30. Chapter XXX: Being Sincere

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Omg, this chapter was so hard to write. I kept going back over it, and still doesn't sound right to me. Oh well.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXX: Being Sincere**

Cloud watched Tifa as she slept. She was beautiful, but she just didn't do it for him for some reason. For days he'd been dissatisfied with her, especially since she put a stop to him trying to have a duel with the other Cloud. He couldn't stand that she couldn't decide between them and for some reason he was starting to think more and more about Sephiroth.

Sephiroth knew who and what she wanted, she wanted _him_. There was no wondering with her, no doubting what she desired. Unlike Tifa, Sephiroth was able to just say what she wanted without taking years to figure out how to do it. And it wasn't like she was asking for the world.

 _Why am I thinking about Sephiroth?_

 _Because you still love her._

 _But she killed Tiffan._

 _Tiffan doesn't exist here. As the days go by you've started forgetting about him, admit it._

 _I_ have _started to forget. And I do still love her. I thought I could forget her, but the more I try, the more I fail._

* * *

Sephiroth stared at the wall. Behind her Genesis was sitting with the light on, reading a newspaper. It had been three weeks since they moved in and it still felt like the first night every night.

Since moving in, she had adopted the habit of wearing a nightie to bed. The pink satin was soft against her skin, but it felt restrictive and didn't seem to make much of a point when her breast occasionally fell out of the cup. On top of that, she felt Genesis's eyes on her more in this frilly negligée then she did when she was naked. It seemed counterintuitive.

Genesis had taken up the habit of reading the paper, trying to get as accustomed to this world as he was able. He had crafted the story that they had come from lands far to the south and were unfamiliar with the more northern way of life. Despite the truth, he told everyone that Sephiroth was his wife; it was his way of letting other men know not to dare toy with her – a way of protecting her.

As he tried to read, Genesis couldn't help glancing down at the satin straps crisscrossing Sephiroth's slender shoulders. It was distracting to say the least and he licked his lips as he watched her roll onto her back. The plunging neckline made her breasts appear larger and her skin glowed beneath the rosy fabric. She had her eyes closed but he knew she was still awake. She was watching him from under her eyelashes.

"I want you, Sephiroth." He said honestly.

"I know you do." She replied, opening her eyes.

It was a nightly exchange. He told her what he wanted and she acknowledged it, and that was the end of the conversation.

The morning had a ritual of its own.

Genesis would be the first up, he'd fix a pot of coffee and a meal of eggs and bacon. The two of them would share it and once they were dressed, she walked him down to the first floor office where they said good morning to the landlord.

"Have a good day," she said.

"Have fun today, dear." He would make a show of the charade of marriage and kiss her on the cheek before going to earn money and letting her go off to spend it.

* * *

As Sephiroth wandered through the stores and stalls on the street, she found herself standing in front of Seventh Heaven. Her stomach quivered and she checked the time. She'd been wandering for four hours and it was in fact lunch time.

Even though the sign said they were open, she saw no visitors enter the bar. Peeking in through the window, she couldn't even see if anyone was home. Taking a risk, she went inside, her skin crawling as the spring-loaded door slammed behind her.

Cloud came around the corner, "I'll be right with you." He said, not even bothering to pay attention to who it was. As soon as he put down the box he was carrying, he looked up, taking a step back as he saw her.

"Sorry to bother you." She said, crossing her arms around herself.

"No, it's alright." Cloud glanced over his shoulder to make sure Tifa didn't come in. "So, how have you been?"

"Surviving. It feels strange to live in a town where nobody knows who I am."

"Heh, tell me about it." He grabbed a menu for her.

"I'll just have a chicken salad sandwich." She said, shoving the menu aside.

"Anything to drink?"

"Sweet iced tea."

Taking a seat in the far corner, Sephiroth didn't want to seem like she was intruding.

"You know you don't have to sit way over there."

"I feel comfortable over here."

"Okay." He brought her drink right over, "So how's Genesis?"

"He's got a job as a handyman."

"That's good, at least he has a means to support you."

"Yeah…How's Cloud?"

"He's the same piece of crap he was when I got here. We're still sharing a bed with Tifa, she won't let either one of us go. Thankfully we've taken to alternating nights."

"Lucky her."

He went to prepare her sandwich. "To tell the truth, since I've been home I've started feeling a little aggravated with Tifa."

"Oh…" Sephiroth stifled a smile, pretending it didn't affect her.

Cloud returned promptly with not one, but two meals. "Care if I join you?"

"No, it's fine." She let herself smile and he returned it. "So why have you been upset with her?"

"Because she can't decide what she wants. Who she wants." He looked up in Sephiroth's beautiful face.

He couldn't deny how much he still wanted her. Being home with Tifa was only making it clearer. He thought he wanted her when he got back home; he thought what Sephiroth did to Tiffan was a sure end to their relationship. But the longer he was in his homeworld, the more he forgot Tiffan even existed. With each day that passed, Tiffan grew more and more distant. Soon, Cloud started to forget why he was even angry at Sephiroth to begin with.

"But you know what, Sephiroth? I can." He said, staring directly into her eyes.

"You can?"

"I know what I want. The problem is convincing myself it's a good idea. My sensible side is telling me that I should pursue Tifa and marry her like I promised myself. But my lovesick side is telling me that I don't love her like that anymore and I should go after the one that makes me feel good inside."

Sephiroth's shoulders went limp. How long had she been hunching them? Looking around at the empty room, she avoided making eye contact with him.

"Cloud…What are you saying?"

"I know I said I didn't want you anymore, but somehow that feeling is gone and the feelings I had for you before have remained."

Sephiroth's heart climbed into her throat and threatened to choke her. She still couldn't bring herself to look at him. "What about Tifa?"

"She's got the other Cloud to look after her. She loves him more than me, I can feel it. He's already commandeered my business…Pisses me off that he's touched my bike."

"What about your child?"

"He's a big boy, he's handled much harder obstacles than this. So he'll have two moms and two dads…Two is better than one."

Sephiroth shut her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose. "Do you really mean it?"

Cloud didn't know how to respond; he hoped she'd be overjoyed, but she only seemed sad about it. Before he could find more pretty words to woo her with, Sephiroth got up, taking his silence for denial.

"I should go." She hadn't even touched her lunch.

* * *

Sephiroth slammed the door behind her, sinking to the floor as she broke down in tears. She couldn't understand why she was so upset. The man she loved finally told her what she'd been dying to hear and still it brought her no joy. A part of her felt that he was only saying it because he was bored and upset with Tifa and once he was over being mad at her, he'd want her back.

"I hate her." She sobbed, slamming her fist into the floor. "I hate her! She's always in the way!"

"Sephiroth?" There was a muffled voice through the door, followed by a soft tapping.

"Genesis?" She dried her eyes and opened the door, "Genesis, I did something I shouldn't have –"

"Sorry to disappoint." Cloud said.

"Cloud…I thought you were –"

"I know." He sighed heavily, "Can I come in?"

She opened the door and went to the couch. "You followed me all the way here…I'm sorry I left like that."

"Why did you leave?"

"I thought you weren't being sincere."

Cloud nodded, considering that his choice of words had been wrong.

"I did just kind of spring it on you."

"Yes you did and when I asked if you meant it, you didn't say anything."

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to respond like that. It kind of caught me off guard."

"I'll say." She crossed her arms and looked away from him.

Cloud looked her up and down. She wearing a blue dress with a white jacket over it; it almost resembled the pink dress that Aerith used to wear. Even her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail with a blue ribbon.

"You look pretty in that dress." He said honestly.

"Thank you…It's not really my style…but beggars can't be choosers." She huffed, finally meeting his gaze.

He sat down beside her, taking her face in his hands. "Kiss me."

"Why should I?" Even so, she licked her lips.

"Because you want to." He leaned in and took the kiss, even if she wasn't ready.

Sephiroth's heart leapt around inside her chest as she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in. He was right, however much she wanted to deny it, she did want to kiss him. It sparked to life everything inside of her she thought had died. Her body warmed and her core pulsed, sending heat waves all over her skin.

Cloud's own body responded as if linked with hers. He felt her desire spring to life, urging his own to flow through his veins. He wanted to feel that sensation that she gave him, that feeling of utter euphoria. Making love to Tifa never felt like this; it never satisfied him as much as Sephiroth did.

"Sephiroth…I really do love you…" he moaned between her lips.

"I love you too, Cloud…" She leaned back from him just enough to shrug off her jacket and slide her dress down over her body.

"Is that what you want?" Cloud's mouth went dry when he found nothing beneath her dress.

She nodded, nearly moaning with anticipation. Her skin prickled with goose bumps as she grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head. His muscles rippled as he leaned back to unbuckle his belt and drew his pants off.

Sephiroth nearly dragged him to the bed, slamming him down and mounting him. It felt like an eternity since she'd had sex and she wanted it so bad even Genesis was starting to look good to her. But no man was any comparison to Cloud Strife. He was everything she wanted and she refused to let herself deal with any less.

Cloud was also yearning for it. Tifa would have been an easy target, but as his feelings for her began to dwindle, he found himself dreaming of Sephiroth. There was no woman like her on the planet and his body and heart desired her above all others.

He ran his hands across her body as she rode him, moaning at the sight of her as she leaned back taking her own breasts in her hands. Her body tightened and fluttered around him as she slid up and down on him. Grabbing her hips, he slammed her down on himself as he released inside of her. The pleasure rippled through his body and he couldn't help crying out as he filled her. Rolling them over, Cloud continued pumping her, still far from satisfied.

* * *

Genesis walked up to the door, but just as he was about to slide his key into the lock, he heard voices from within. His hair stood on end as he listened to the unmistakable sound. Shivering, he slammed his hands into the door frame to keep from busting the door down.

 _She's not really my wife_ , he had to remind himself. _She can do whatever she wants with whomever she wants. It's no concern of mine._

But that made it no less painful.


	31. Chapter XXXI: Nighttime Escape

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. I know that last chapter sucked miserably, I hope this one is better though, if only by a little. The end is nigh.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Chapter XXXI: Nighttime Escape**

Cloud stared at Tifa while she did the dishes. She'd barely spoken to him at all that day, preferring to interact with the other Cloud instead. It was the other Cloud's turn to sleep with Tifa that night and it was grating on Cloud's nerves.

"Tifa. Why have you been ignoring me today?"

"You were supposed to watch the bar this afternoon." She rested her soapy hands on the edge of the sink, leaning into it like she was about to be sick, "When I got back from running my errands, you were gone. Not only that…but a little bird dropped by to tell me where you were."

Cloud's back stiffened. "Who?"

"Genesis." She turned around, crossing her arms over herself. "So why'd you do it this time, Cloud? Am I not enough for you anymore?"

"Am I not enough for _you?_ " Cloud snarled, kicking back the barstool. "You're the one who wants to keep two men in her back pocket. Do you realize how hard it is to share you with him?"

"He's you, Cloud."

"We have the same face, but we aren't the same person! Look, all I want is to be with one woman, and for the longest time, I thought that one woman was you." Cloud approached her slowly, like he was about to wrestle a wild animal. As he crept up to her, he leaned on the counter beside her, his face just inches from hers, "I love Sephiroth. I never thought those words would ever come from my mouth, but I want her more than I want you."

"She killed someone." Tifa leaned back from him.

"So have I." Cloud caressed her cheek with the backs of his knuckles, "There would have been a chance for the two of us if you'd just gotten rid of him. But I can't do it, Tifa. It's clear to me that you want him more than me."

"How can you say that?"

"I can say it easily. You've let him take over, even the kids prefer him over me."

"Since you've been back, you've been distant. It's like you've changed."

"I have changed. That world changed me just like this world changed him. And being back has done nothing to turn me the way I was."

"So what now, are you leaving?"

"I'm taking Sephiroth and the two of us are going to move in together elsewhere. Denzel is free to come too or if he wants to stay here, he can come visit. I doubt I'll be missed anyway."

"I'll miss you." Tifa's heart sank down to her stomach and bubbled there.

"No you won't. Once I'm out of the picture, you'll go back to your happy life with Cloud and I'll be just a distant memory."

"And me?"

"The same for me. I will always have a fond place in my heart for you, Tifa. We've shared things that should have kept us together. But there's something about Sephiroth that I can't shake. I think about her day and night and when I'm with her, I feel like the king of the world."

Tifa backed away from him, shaken by how open he was being with her. He sort of reminded her of the other Cloud when he first arrived, the way he behaved like he was about to eat her. That same animalistic look was in Cloud's eyes right then, rendering him almost unrecognizable.

"You're scaring me." She whimpered, putting the bar between them.

"Sometimes, I scare myself." He didn't pursue her; he felt her discomfort even before she said anything.

"So this is it then. We're breaking up."

"Yes. You have Cloud and I have Sephiroth. If you consider it neither of us are left without. We both win."

"But we also lose."

"A part of me will always love you, Tifa. That much I know, but I want her more."

Tifa nodded, "I feel the same way about Cloud. Since he's calmed down, he's been a better version of you. But if this world affected him like that, then how is this world affecting Sephiroth? Will she become a monster like the real Sephiroth?"

"She has the one thing he didn't…Someone to actually love her. Between her friendship with Genesis and our love, she won't become a monster."

Tifa grabbed a cloth, wiping her hands of the soap. "So what about Genesis, he has feelings for her. Won't you be sharing her with him too?"

"It's not the same. You love the other Cloud the same way you love me. But Sephiroth doesn't love Genesis any more than she'd love her own brother. Of that much I'm certain."

"I hope you're right, about everything."

Cloud approached her again, this time taking her in his arms. "It feels nice to hold you like this." He said honestly, "But I can't stay."

Tifa held back the urge to cry, "I can't believe that we're really breaking up. I feel so betrayed, Cloud."

"I'm sorry. But I feel used by you, I feel like one of me just isn't enough."

"Maybe that's true…I just wanted all of you." She breathed in his scent.

"You _had_ all of me. But you had to have him too." He gently eased her off of him, looking into her watery doe eyes. "It'll be better once I leave. You'll forget just like you forgot when I was gone before."

"And you'll forget again too."

"I never forgot, Tifa, I just found something more."

* * *

Genesis sat back in his chair as he watched Sephiroth brush her hair. His heart was pounding in his chest and his breath escaped his nose is short, hard puffs.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked.

"Nothing. But I already know what's gotten into _you_." He hissed, fetching a bottle of scotch from the freezer.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I know who was in here today."

Sephiroth stood up from the bed, clutching the hairbrush with a death grip. "Does that bother you?"

"Damn it Sephiroth, you know I wanted you for myself!" He slammed the bottle onto the table, threatening the integrity of the glass. "Why else do you think I've been putting up with you?"

"Putting up with me?"

"Everything I've done, I've done for you. I've done nothing but cater to your every wish and still you deny me! And frankly, this whimpering depressed thing you've become is killing me."

"A whimpering depressed thing." She repeated breathily. "I see."

"No you don't see. You don't see how much I'm hurting. I don't want to be trapped here anymore than you do, but if I found a way to take you back home, then we'd have to face the consequences of your actions. And I can't handle that. I don't want to see you disgraced like that."

"You keep telling me what you want and don't want. What about what I want?"

"What _do_ you want?" He inched toward her, falling to his knees before her. "I already told you to name it."

"I want Cloud Strife to marry me."

Genesis gnashed his teeth together, dropping his head as he found back the urge to strike at her. "I don't know why, but a part of me is beginning to hate you for some reason…"

"I know why. Because I won't return your feelings."

"No, it's because you're not the woman I once knew. You've become something else. And it's because of Cloud. It's because he seduced you and you cannot differentiate love from lust. It's turned you from the calm, refined warrior I fell in love with, into a temperamental, miserable shell of a woman."

"Am I really that much different than I was before?"

"Yes!" He stood up, looking down at her with all the pity he held in his heart. "I love you, Sephiroth, in every way imaginable and I mean it when I say I'll do anything for you, but my patience is running thin. And I stay here with you only because I swore and oath that I would."

"That's the only reason?"

"Besides the fact that I love you? Yes, it is."

"Then I release you from that bond. I was sick with grief when I made you swear it anyway…I wasn't thinking." She tossed the hairbrush onto the nightstand and looked him in the eyes. "You've wasted too much time and energy on me, Genesis. I'm going to share my life with Cloud, that much is certain – whether it's the right idea or not. And you need to use this opportunity we both have to start your life anew."

"How can I? I don't want to face this world alone; you and I have always been together. And I've taken for granted that we always would be."

"So did I."

"Don't kick me out, please."

"I'm not kicking you out, I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

Sephiroth got up, grabbing a bag she'd hidden under the bed and began packing. "Yes."

Genesis watched her for a moment, his skin crawling as he watched his best friend pack what was left of her life into a backpack. They'd been together since they were born and the pair of them always promised to be by one another's side. But promises are sometimes meant to be broken, he supposed. She was built for him, the perfect woman who was supposed to be his mate. The only problem was that he was not perfect enough for her. But what did he do wrong? What was he not doing to make her want him? Had he waited too long to tell her how he felt?

"Are we still friends?"

Sephiroth paused, "What?"

"Are we still friends?"

She dropped the bag and ran up to him, tossing her arms around his waist. "Of course we are. We will always be friends, Genesis. I mean always."

"Call me, write to me. Just don't forget about me."

"I don't think that's possible."

"Goodbye, Genesis."

"Goodbye, Sephiroth." He sniffed her hair one last time, and squeezed her tight as if it was the last time he'd ever see her again. "He better take care of you."

"He will, don't worry."

"If you need me, don't hesitate. I'll go to the ends of the earth for you. Always. If you need to come home, I'll be here."

"Thank you, my friend." She grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

The anger and jealousy that had filled Genesis's heart completely fizzled out. He didn't want her to go, but a part of him was relieved that he was able to spend his life the way he saw fit. Despite his own wants and needs, he found a small shred of happiness in knowing she was doing what she finally wanted to do. He could have given her what she wanted; she could have been his wife and the mother of his children, and he hoped that Cloud would give her the same.

Grabbing the bottle of scotch, he poured himself a glass and tried to enjoy the silence.

* * *

"So you're leaving Tifa for Sephiroth." The other Cloud said as he narrowed his eyes at Cloud. "Thank you, I guess. I have to say, I'm getting the better end of the deal."

"Whatever you think." Cloud said as he grabbed a soda from the fridge. "Personally, I think Sephiroth is better than Tifa."

"You are blind. You know that? No one is better than Tifa. Besides, Sephiroth killed Tiffan. I will never forget that as long as I live. If I had my way about it, Sephiroth would be dead now." He set his jaw and shook away the murderous thought. "It's best if you get her out of town, as soon as possible. I hate walking around, knowing there's a possibility I could run into her."

As if on cue the door opened and Sephiroth walked in. She glanced around, having expected there to be guests in the bar. There was one drunk sitting in a booth, his head down on the table as he slept. But aside from him, the place was empty.

"Speak of the devil." The other Cloud snarled as he glanced her up and down. He couldn't believe he'd ever slept with such a vile creature.

"I'm sorry…" She said, "I probably should have called first."

"Don't worry." Cloud said as he met her at the door. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I sort of had an argument with Genesis…which resulted in me leaving."

"I see…" Cloud noticed her bag and nodded in understanding. "Let me grab a few things." He turned around, shooting the other Cloud a glare before running up the stairs.

The other Cloud looked Sephiroth up and down again, wrinkling his nose at her.

"Hi." She said meekly.

"Don't be cute." He snapped, marching up to her. "I can't believe you're showing your face here you fucking whore."

"Look I –"

"I don't want your lame ass apology. You murdered my best friend! If I had my way, you'd be laying in a shallow, unmarked grave…that alone is more than a snake like you deserves." He grabbed her jaw, yanking her face up to his, "Set foot in this bar again and I really will kill you. It won't be quick and it won't be painless…I will fuck you up in such a way you'll wish you were never born in the first place."

"You won't if you want to keep Tifa. She won't stand for that."

"Watch me."

* * *

Upstairs, Cloud packed a duffle bag with some clothes, then a bag of toiletries. Grabbing his keys off the hook in the hall, he went into the kids' room. Crept up quietly to Denzel's bed, he gently ruffled his hair.

"Hey, Denzel." Cloud whispered, tugging his hair until he woke up.

"What's up, Cloud?" Denzel rubbed his eyes and sat up, leaning into give Cloud a tired hug.

"I'm going on a little trip. I won't be gone very long, just for about a week."

"Where are you going?"

"I have a friend that needs my help, I'm going to give her a place to live."

"Okay…" He yawned, lying back down. "Don't forget to call me."

"I won't. I love you, buddy."

"I love you too, dad." It was exceptionally rare when Denzel called Tifa and Cloud mom and dad, but when he did it rattled Cloud down to the core. That was his son and in that moment, he wanted to take him with them.

"Later," he promised, "soon I'll take you to meet your new mom."

Giving Denzel a kiss on the forehead, Cloud left the room.

* * *

Returning down stairs, Cloud found the other Cloud sharing some words with Sephiroth.

"Hey! Back off from her!" He shoved the other Cloud away, putting himself between them.

"I was just telling your precious that she's not welcome here. Keep her away Cloud."

"Or what?"

"She'll end up worse than Tiffan. I've already told her I want her dead."

"That's not for you to decide." Cloud gently pushed Sephiroth toward the door. "Anyway I'm taking her where you can't touch her. Oh and by the way," He wiggled the motorcycle keys at him, "I'm taking my other girlfriend with me too."

"Go on and take the damn thing, I got a guy who's selling me a truck anyway."

Cloud took Sephiroth out to where the motorcycle was locked up and quietly rolled it out. "Come on." He hopped on and she slid into the rear seat.

"I'm not terribly fond of these things." She said, her voice shaking.

"It's alright, I'm a pro. Just hold on tight and don't let go."

He started up the engine and rolled off into the night.


	32. Epilogue: Sunrise

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII.**

* * *

 **Twisted Fate**

 **Epilogue: Sunrise**

The other Cloud crawled in bed, wrapping his arms around Tifa. He kissed her neck and breathed in her fresh scent.

"Hmm…Cloud?"

"Yes, it's me." He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Cloud left, didn't he? He finally left."

"Yeah…"

"I heard your voices down there." She yawned and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his chest. "You won't leave me too, will you?"

"Never. I can't leave you, I love you too much."

"I love you too," She murmured, sleep taking her again.

Cloud smiled, petting her hair. She was finally his own, there was no one to come between them anymore. Now, he was no longer 'the other Cloud', now he was just himself, just Cloud.

* * *

Sephiroth leaned against the railing on the terrace, watching the sun rise over the ocean. This place was more beautiful than in the pictures. She'd seen photos of Costa Del Sol in travel magazines and on television, but never once had she found the time to see it for herself. She wasn't disappointed.

What made it better was that it was now her home. Cloud had a beautiful house he'd bought a couple years prior but never lived in it. It was a far cry from that hovel she had in Edge and far still even from her lovely apartment at Shinra.

Breathing in the salty air, she leaned backward only to fall into a thick muscled chest. Cloud wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulders and sniffing her freshly washed hair. His heart fluttered in his chest as she smiled up at him, looking so beautiful. Suddenly, her face fell and she turned around in his arms, burying her face between his pecs.

"What is it?" He whispered into her ear.

"I have something to tell you, but I'm afraid to say it out loud."

"There's no one to harm you here, Sephiroth. You can tell me anything."

Peeking up at him, she pulled his neck down so his ear was level with her lips and she whispered tenderly, "I'm pregnant again."

A lump formed in Cloud's throat and he felt his heartbeat quicken, "Are you sure?"

"Positive…Sometimes if I sit really still, I can even feel it kicking. It's like butterfly wings."

The shock was clear on Cloud's face and Sephiroth leaned back from him, unsure if she said something wrong. But as the fact set in, Cloud's eyes softened and he cracked an almost sheepish smile. "I'm gonna be a father."

"Yes. And I'll be a mother."

"This is kind of surreal."

"I know…" Sephiroth spread her hands across his chest. "Are we doing the right thing, Cloud?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean by bringing a child into this uncertain world?"

"I don't know, but I know we'll do it together. I love you."

"I love you too."

He drew her close and kissed her like he never kissed her before.

THE END

* * *

 **So...yeah, this was hard to end. There were so many places this could go, I wasn't sure which path to take. It's always like that when I write these things! LOL. I'm afraid that this ending isn't exactly a "happily ever after" ending, but more of a "happy for now" ending. The dark truth is, Cloud and Sephiroth's relationship was purely sexual, there wasn't much in the way of true love, even if it felt like it for them, I'll leave it up to you guys to interpret their fate though. Also, I wanted to add a little vignette of Genesis's fate, like possibly meeting someone new, but I doubt he'd move on so quickly from so fiercely loving Sephiroth, so I'm also leaving him up to your imagination. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story!**


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